Venezuela’s military seizes three abandoned Colombian light combat vessels

Several days after Venezuela accused its neighbour of aiding a failed invasion, the Venezuelan military has reportedly discovered three abandoned Colombian light combat vessels. As per reports, the vessels were discovered by soldiers during a patrol mission on May 9 and were equipped with machine guns and ammunition but were devoid of their crews.

Nationwide operation

According to reports, the Venezuelan defence ministry released a statement wherein they claimed that the vessels was discovered during a nationwide operation aimed at guaranteeing Venezuela’s ‘freedom and sovereignty’.

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As per reports, the Colombian foreign ministry has not commented on the discovery, and President Nicolas Maduro has accused Colombian President Ivan Duque of being a party to the failed invasion. Duque has reportedly denied the accusations. Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry were reportedly among the 31 people who were captured by the Venezuelan military, several attackers also died during the failed invasion. As per reports, Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab told a reporter on May 8 that the attackers had been charged with ‘terrorism, conspiracy, illicit trafficking of weapons of war and [criminal] association’. The combined sentences for those crimes is 25-30 years in prison.

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Saab has also reportedly claimed that Venezuela has also requested an international arrest warrant for Jordan Goudreau, a former US Army veteran who has claimed in the media that he was the person behind the failed operation in Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused US President Donald Trump of being the “direct chief” of the operation that would have enabled the Venezuelans to retain control of the country. However, US has denied all such allegations and said its involvement would have been “overt, direct and effective”. Trump has already acknowledged the allegations on the US and has called them untrue while NSC has said that Washington remains committed to maintaining peaceful relations with Caracas.

(With agency inputs)

(Image Credit: AP)