How the Campaign to Free Venezuelan Political Prisoner Alex Saab Succeeded

[Judi Lynn]

by Roger D. Harris / December 21st, 2023

Alex Saab was freed from US captivity in what Venezuelan Prof. Maria Victor Paez described as “a triumph of Venezuelan diplomacy.” The diplomat had been imprisoned for trying to bring humanitarian supplies to Venezuela in legal international trade but in circumvention of Washington’s illegal economic coercive measures, also known as sanctions.

Negotiated prisoner exchange

In a prisoner exchange, Venezuela released ten US citizens and some other nationals to free Alex Saab after his over three years of imprisonment.

Saab’s plane landed in Venezuela on December 20. He was tearfully greeted by his family, friends, and Venezuela’s primera combatiente Cilia Flores, wife of the president. Shortly after, President Nicolás Maduro made a triumphal public address with Alex Saab at his side at the presidential palace.

Unlike Maduro, US President Biden made no such public address with his releasees beside him. Had he done so, he would have had to stand with “Fat Leonard” Francis, who had escaped US captivity after being convicted in a major US Navy corruption case implicating some sixty admirals. The US badly wanted him back in their custody. He knew too much about officials in high places.

The White House has so far declined to reveal the full list of those released. John Kirby, US Security Council spokesperson, tweeted, “Sometimes tough decisions have to be made to rescue Americans overseas.” Among the others released were mercenaries Luke Deman and Airan Berry, who were captured after the “Bay of Piglets” attempt to assassinate the Venezuelan president.

More:
https://dissidentvoice.org/2023/12/how-the-campaign-to-free-venezuelan-political-prisoner-alex-saab-succeeded/

[Judi Lynn]

1. A couple of prisoners Venezuela gave to Washington had been arrested trying to assassinate Maduro, Trump-backed.

Trump denies ties to Americans linked to Venezuela ‘coup plot’
Two US citizens among dozens arrested by Venezuela after a beach invasion allegedly aimed at overthrowing Maduro.

6 May 2020

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States government had nothing to do with an alleged incursion into Venezuela that landed two US citizens behind bars in the crisis-stricken South American country.

Trump said he had just learned of the detention of the pair, accused by Venezuela of being mercenaries. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said they were part of an operation to kill him that was backed by neighbouring Colombia and the US.

“Whatever it is, we’ll let you know,” Trump told reporters in Washington, DC, before departing from the White House to Arizona. “But it has nothing to do with our government.”

Maduro said: “The United States government is fully and completely involved in this defeated raid” and praised members of a fishing village for cornering one group and netting the “professional American mercenaries”.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper echoed Trump’s comments later on Tuesday, saying “The United States government had nothing to do with what’s happened in Venezuela in the last few days.”

More:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/5/6/trump-denies-ties-to-americans-linked-to-venezuela-coup-plot

[Judi Lynn]

2. 'DEA KNEW' US government 'WAS told' of gun smuggling ahead of failed Venezuela coup by ex-Green Berets

Kassidy Vavra, News Reporter
Published: 12:27 ET, May 7 2020 Updated: 13:46 ET, May 7 2020

THE US government knew weapons were being smuggled to training camps ahead of a failed Venezuela coup led by a former Green Beret, officials told AP.

US officials earlier this week denied knowledge of the “Rambo mercenary plot” led by Jordan Goudreau, 43, to kill or capture President Nicolas Maduro.



Ex-Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, who was allegedly involved in a plan to capture Venezuela's president Credit: Instagram



Weapons reportedly seized that were being smuggled into jungle training campsCredit: Government of Venezuela



Jordan Goudreau, 43, is seen in footage of the president’s campaign rallies in 2018 wearing an earpiece.
However, the DEA was reportedly tipped off about the smuggling earlier this year.

The DEA failed to act on the tip, had no idea who Goudreau was, and did not open a formal probe, the officials told AP.

The agency assumed the weapons were being sent to leftist rebels or criminal gangs in Colombia and passed it on to the Department of Homeland Security.

The report that the US government were informed came after Venezuela arrested two US mercenaries over a plot “to assassinate Maduro.”

More:
https://www.the-sun.com/news/795874/governmnet-told-rambo-gun-smuggling-failed-maduro-assassination/

[Deep State Witch]

3. If We Got Fat Leonard Back

It was a good trade. The dude made BILLIONS off of US Navy contracts.