Captured US ‘mercenaries’ to be tried in Venezuela

Venezuela will try two Americans allegedly captured during a failed bid by mercenaries to invade the country, President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday, as the US vowed to "use every tool available" to bring them home.

Venezuela announced Monday that it had arrested the two former US special forces soldiers on suspicion of trying to topple Maduro in an operation supported by the US-backed opposition.

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"They are convicts, confessed, caught red-handed and are being judged by the republic's attorney general, by Venezuela's civil courts, and the process will be full of guarantees and fair," said Maduro.

The leader of the crisis-wracked South American country insisted the Americans, identified as Luke Denman and Airan Berry, were being "well treated, with respect."

Maduro showed the passports of Denman, 34, and Berry, 41, on state television. The US army has confirmed they were former members of the Green Berets who were deployed to Iraq.

In Washington, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the government would "use every tool that we have available to try to get them back."

US President Donald Trump had denied any involvement by his administration with the mission. Russia, a close ally of Maduro's, hit out at Trump on Wednesday and described his denials as "unconvincing."

Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab said Monday that opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is backed by the US, had signed a $212 million contract with "hired mercenaries" using funds seized by the US from the state oil company PDVSA.

Denman and Berry are among 17 people arrested for allegedly being part of an invasion force that was intercepted early Sunday just off the coast, about 40 minutes from the capital Caracas. Another eight alleged attackers were killed.