President Donald Trump on Tuesday denied any involvement by the U.S. government in what Venezuelan officials have called a failed armed incursion in the South American country that led to the capture of two American "mercenaries."
Trump made the comment to reporters at the White House after socialist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday said authorities there had detained two U.S. citizens working with a U.S. military veteran who has claimed responsibility for the foiled operation.
"We'll find out. We just heard about it," Trump said when asked about the incident and the Americans' arrests. "But it has nothing to do with our government."
In a state television address, Maduro said authorities arrested 13 "terrorists" on Monday involved in what he described as a plot coordinated with Washington to enter the country via the Caribbean coast and oust him.
Eight people were killed during the incursion attempt on Sunday, Venezuelan authorities said.
Maduro showed what he said were the U.S. passports and other identification cards belonging to Airan Berry and Luke Denman, whom he said were in custody and had been working with Jordan Goudreau, an American military veteran who leads a Florida-based security company called Silvercorp USA.
The two detained Americans, former special operations forces members who had served with Goudreau, were believed to be in the custody of Venezuelan military intelligence, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The State Department did not provide any immediate comment on the arrests. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, had strongly denied any U.S. government role in the incursions.
Washington has waged a campaign of tough economic sanctions and diplomatic measures against Venezuela in an effort to oust Maduro, accusing him of having rigged elections in 2018.
But while Trump has repeatedly said all options are on the table, his administration has shown no apparent interest in military action as it pursues what it calls a "maximum pressure" strategy against Maduro.
Maduro's government, however, says the United States wants to control the OPEC member nation's massive oil reserves.
Diplomatic ties between Caracas and Washington have been on a knife's-edge since last year amid heightened political tension due to a power struggle between Maduro and Guaido.
Venezuela has been under firm US economic and diplomatic sanctions for more than a year as Washington recognizes Guaido as the country's legitimate ruler instead of elected President Maduro.
The US indicted Maduro and several key aides on alleged charges of narcoterrorism.
US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said Friday that "multilateral effort to restore democracy in Venezuela is continuing to build momentum" and he "updated plans to reopen the US Embassy in Caracas."
The embassy, which closed 2019, will reopen in Caracas as soon as Maduro "steps aside" under the plan for a "democratic transition."
