JUDY WOODRUFF: The Trump administration has made no secret of its desire to depose Venezuela's
President Nicolas Maduro, as his country spirals further into economic and humanitarian catastrophe.
But, earlier this month, an operation to invade and kidnap Maduro shocked everyone, it seemed,
but Maduro himself.
Nick Schifrin reports on a bizarre botched invasion attempt and the implications for
a country in collapse.
NICK SCHIFRIN: The first sign the secret mission wasn't so secret, the Venezuelan military
helicopter. As soon as Operation Gideon came ashore, it ran aground, more than a dozen
captured, eight killed.
And among the detained?
LUKE DENMAN, Arrested American: Secure Caracas.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Two Americans paraded on Venezuela TV.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro showed off their U.S. passports, blamed President
Trump, and said the authorities knew about the plot all along.
NICOLAS MADURO, Venezuelan President (through translator): They came to Venezuela. We named
them. Their little game was revealed.
NICK SCHIFRIN: The mastermind of this misadventure? Jordan Goudreau, whose promotional video shows
him as a former Army Green Beret, CEO of a private security firm, and provider of security
at a Trump rally.
During the raid, as his men were being captured, he posted a video with his Venezuelan co-conspirator.
JORDAN GOUDREAU, Founder and CEO, Silvercorp: At 1700 hours, a daring amphibious raid was
launched from the border of Colombia deep into the heart of Caracas.
NICK SCHIFRIN: And in a Skype interview with a Venezuelan news organization, Goudreau bragged
about how he'd been training for a year.
JORDAN GOUDREAU: Are you familiar with Alexander the Great? The Battle of Gaugamela, completely
outnumbered, he struck deep into the heart of the enemy, and that's how he won.
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. Secretary of State: There was no U.S. government direct involvement
in this operation. If we'd have been involved, it would have gone differently.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denied the administration knew, as did Venezuelans
interviewed by "PBS NewsHour."
But the Trump administration has waged a diplomatic campaign to oust Maduro, announcing criminal
charges and a $15 million reward for his capture in March.
WILLIAM BARR, U.S. Attorney General: Maduro and his other defendants have betrayed the
Venezuelan people and corrupted Venezuela's institutions.
NICK SCHIFRIN: And in February 2019 in Miami, President Trump urged Venezuelans to rise
up.
DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: Let your people go. Set your country free.
Now is the time for all Venezuelan patriots to act together as one united people.
NICK SCHIFRIN: The centerpiece of the administration's campaign is Juan Guaido, whom dozens of countries
call Venezuela's rightful president.
As part of Guaido's effort to overthrow Maduro, he turned to Miami-based Venezuelan consultant
J.J. Rendon, who's usually focused on politics.
And when you talk about how Juan Guaido wanted you to use all options or explore all options,
what does that mean?
J.J. RENDON, Political Consultant: He specifically say, all options are all under and over the
table. We're exploring -- and he's used the word exploring, that is accurate -- every
option.
We have, according to our Constitution, the mandate, not the right. Every Venezuelan,
invested or not in power, have the duty to do whatever in his power to recover a state
of freedom and democracy.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Last year, Rendon hired Goudreau and agreed to this 42-page $200 million agreement
designed to be paid with Maduro's money.
The plan was to capture, detain, remove Nicolas Maduro with a quick reaction force of Venezuelans.
Their operations had to minimize incidental injury to civilians and use force that was
necessary and proportional.
It said, "Use of all types of conventional weapons is permitted."
But Rendon said he quickly grew skeptical and cut ties to Goudreau last October, after
paying Goudreau's expenses.
J.J. RENDON: We back off. And we didn't like the guy to keep talking to us anymore. There
were some red flags, too. I told him, look, if you have some expenses, I will pay myself.
And I did. So, we said, OK, you have that; $50,000 is good for you? Fine. Bye.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Guaido denied any personal knowledge of the operation and shifted the
blame to Maduro.
JUAN GUAIDO, Opposition Leader, Venezuela (through translator): We have nothing to do
with any company, for obvious and evident reasons. But we have to make it very clear
right now, nothing the usurper can say will change the reality and the situation that
our country is going through.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Venezuela is suffering from debilitating inflation, a humanitarian disaster,
and worries about a COVID-19 outbreak. Maduro used arrested American Luke Denman...
LUKE DENMAN, Arrested American: I was helping Venezuelans take back control.
NICK SCHIFRIN: ... and Airan Berry...
MAN: What were the objectives of the mission?
AIRAN BERRY, Arrested American: I believe it was to get Maduro.
NICK SCHIFRIN: ... to shift the focus to condemning the Trump administration.
NICOLAS MADURO (through translator): Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo were directly behind this.
It was a contract ordered by the State Department as a covert operation against Venezuela.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Goudreau launched the operation even after Colombia intercepted some of his
weapons. He didn't reply to "PBS NewsHour" requests for comment.
The opposition and Trump administration officials believe Maduro might co-opted the operation.
J.J. RENDON: There was a push for some patriots to get slaughtered and killed to stage a theater
and victimize himself in the middle of the worst moment of my country. Sorry about that.
NICK SCHIFRIN: On Monday, after 20 years in the Venezuelan opposition, Rendon resigned
as an unpaid adviser to Guaido.
J.J. RENDON: Spiritually, let's say, in myself, yes, I will love to go back in time, not talk
to him, and not be related to this craziness, and the sacrifice of people like slaughter.
NICK SCHIFRIN: The Trump administration and Guaido are trying to ensure the botched operation
doesn't derail their campaign.
And Maduro, whether puppet master of the operation or its target, remains firmly in power.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Nick Schifrin.