The wife of a former American soldier charged with terrorism and conspiracy for his role in a failed Venezuelan coup has pleaded with the U.S. government to do everything it can to secure his release.
Airan Berry, 41, was arrested in Venezuela on May 4 alongside fellow American Luke Denman, 34, and six Venezuelans following a foiled attempt to overthrown President Nicolás Maduro.
His wife Melanie Berry has said she and their two teenage children are ‘in shock’ after learning about his arrest on the internet.
‘Our children, especially, are very upset and very sad – they want their dad back,’ she told German publication t-online.
Her appeal came as a new video emerged of an March 23 arms seizure in Colombia that has been identified as the point from which the coup, organized by former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau and his Florida-based company Silvercorp USA, began to unravel.
The stockpile was destined for the coup training camps before being intercepted by Colombian authorities.
Airan Berry, 41, pictured with his wife Melanie and their two children. She has called on the U.S. government to do everything it can to ensure his safe release after the former Green Beret was arrested in Venezuela on May 4 for his role in a failed bid to overthrow President Maduro
Melanie Berry has said she was relieved to see former soldier Airan speaking in an interrogation video broadcast on Venezuelan state TV and social media on Thursday
Video has also emerged of the arms seizure in Colombia on March 23, pictured above, that it believed to be the point from which the failed Venezuelan coup began to dismantle
Berry, Denman and Goudreau had all been stationed in Germany together with the 10th Special Forces Group 1st Battalion, before Berry left the military in 2013 and settled in Schweinfurt, Germany, with his family, Melanie explained.
He has lived in Germany since leaving the army after 17 years of service, she added, and had settled professionally in Schweinfurt until Goudreau approached him with the job.
She said that she did not know the details of the job that Berry had taken from Goudreau as he could not reveal any information and she only learned of the coup after his arrest.
‘It was his first assignment for a private security firm,’ Melanie said.
‘My husband knew him from the time they spent together in Iraq and he trusted him.’
‘I definitely knew nothing about any set period of time. He couldn’t give me any information. He took the job offer, and that’s all I know.’
The family is now in contact with the family of Luke Denman and with various agencies hoping to secure their safe release.
‘We’re hoping that the U.S. government will use all its resources to bring my husband Airan and Luke Denman home,’ she wrote to t-online.de.
‘They’re good men who are worthy of being protected, supported and provided with the kind the help they have so often given to others.
‘After all the years that Airan worked to ensure the safety of Americans, he deserves every possible resource to get him home safely to his family,’ his wife insisted.
‘Since we learned of the arrest, we have been in constant contact with various agencies and organizations, but we don’t have any details right now.’
Melanie Berry, pictured, said her husband Airan did not tell her anything about the job he was on and she only learned on the coup after his arrest. She said that Berry knew ringleader Goudreau as they were both stationed in Germany when in the U.S. army
Airan and Melanie Berry pictured with their children. Melanie as said that their teenage children ‘want their dad back’ and are very upset by his arrest in Venezuela
Denman’s family were also unaware of his involvement until his brother Mark spotted his Nordic tattoo in the pictures of the arrest and realized that he was not at his job offshore welding as they had believed.
‘The first 24 hours, we had no clue about what was going on,’ Mark Denman told the Military Times.
‘Every day, we learn a little bit more and by the end of the week, we learned quite a bit.
‘I have been making a lot of phone calls to get in touch with folks, embassies in Bogata,’ he added.
‘The Swiss Embassy. Consular services. The State Department. I have talked to a lot of attorneys about helping out, but I have not seen a clear plan about what they can do. They explain how much their retainers are.’
Airan Berry, pictured, was charged on Friday with terrorism and conspiracy
Berry and Denman were sentenced in their first court appearance on Friday and face up to 25 to 30 years in prison.
On Wednesday and Thursday, video clips of their interrogation by Venezuelan authorities had been broadcast and shared on social media, in which they appears to confess to involvement in the raid.
‘Seeing him in that video was a relief,’ Melanie said.
‘Our hope is that Airan and Luke are treated in accordance with international human rights law.
‘My husband Airan and I have been married for 19 years. He means everything to me and our whole family, and he is my best friend.’
‘He looked OK,’ Denman’s brother said of his video, adding that he was relieved that Venezuelans are prosecuting them in court because the country doesn’t have a death penalty.
In their interrogation videos, Berry and Denman revealed they had been approached by Goudreau in early December about the plot and they were hired by Silvercorp to meet with around 60 Venezuelans in training camps in Colombia to prepare them for the mission.
The former soldiers flew to Colombia on January 16 and after training, they accompanied the troops by boat to Venezuelan to oversee the plan and ensure that an airport was secured through which Maduro could be flown to the United States.
Airan Berry, pictured top, and Luke Deman, pictured bottom, were arrested on May 4 as part of a failed attempt to overthrow Venezuelan President Maduro. Their families have claimed they had no idea of the details of the job and didn’t know they were in Venezuela before their arrest
The U.S. had established a $15million reward in March for information that led to the arrest or conviction of the socialist leader.
The incursion was quickly shut down by Venezuelan authorities on Sunday and Monday, however, and 31 arrested, as Maduro revealed that Venezuelan intelligence had facilitated the plot in Colombia and they had been lying in wait for it to launch.
The ill-fated plan showed signs of failure from the off as a video has now emerged of the arms seizure in Colombia on March 23 which sparked the eventual dismantling of the mission.
Colombian police seized a stockpile of weapons being transported in a truck, which rebellious former Venezuelan Army General, Cliver Alcalá, claimed ownership off just before he surrendered to face U.S. narcotics charges.
This arms seizure in Colombia on March 23 is believed to be the point from which the plot really began to dismantle. Cliver Alcalá, who had been working with Goudreau to lead the coup, claimed responsibility for the guns. Five days later, Venezuelan state TV had shown pictures of Goudreau and appeared to have the names on Berry and Denman.
Alcalá is said to have worked with Goudreau on the plot after the pair met in Bogota and Alcalá told Goudreau that he was secretly training dozens of Venezuelan military deserters in secret camps.
The stockpile seized in March, worth around $150,000, included spotting scopes, night vision goggles, two-way radios and 26 American-made assault rifles with the serial numbers rubbed off.
Fifteen brown-colored helmets seized by police were manufactured by High-End Defense Solutions, a Miami-based military equipment vendor owned by a Venezuelan immigrant family, according to Colombian police.
High-End Defense Solutions is the same company that Goudreau visited in November and December, allegedly to source weapons, according to two former Venezuelan soldiers who spoke to the Associated Press.
They claim to have helped the American select the gear but later had a bitter falling out with Goudreau amid accusations that they were moles for Maduro.
The AP reported that they could not independent verify their account.
The stockpile pictured was seized on March 23 and included gear from a company that Goudreau visited in November and December, allegedly to source weapons
The stockpile, worth around $150,000, included spotting scopes, night vision goggles, two-way radios and 26 American-made assault rifles with the serial numbers rubbed off
Ringleader Goudreau came on board to oversee the training and continued with the mission even after Alcalá surrendered and Venezuelan state TV claimed its government had infiltrated the ‘mercenaries’.
It emerged Monday that they even aired photographs of Goudreau on March 28 and had Berry and Denman’s names over a month before the coup would be attempted.
Goudreau is now under federal investigation in the U.S. for arms smuggling after identifying himself as the person behind the plot in a video posted to social media and claiming that he had provided the coup members with training and equipment.
The former Green Beret was not able to take part in the plan he hatched after his boat broke down in March and he was forced to return to Florida where travel restrictions because of the coronavirus outbreak prevented him from returning to his troops.
He claims to have signed a $212million contract with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guadió, who is backed as the country’s legitimate leader by the U.S., a claim which Guaidó has denied.
Maduro has presented an alleged signed contract during press conferences as proof that Guaidó was involved in the plot to overthrow him.
Guaidó’s U.S.-based strategists JJ Rendón and Sergio Vergara handed in their letter of resignation on Monday after Rendón revealed to the press last week that he had given $50,000 to Goudreau as part of an ‘exploratory’ deal.
He said he signed a preliminary agreement with Goudreau and Silvercorp USA with the idea of exploring whether several members of the Maduro government who are being prosecuted or who have arrest warrants could be captured and brought to justice.
However, he assures that this agreement did not become effective and that they had no involvement in Goudreau continuing with the coup plot.
According to the Associated Press, a person familiar with the situation said the agreement was signed by Rendón and Vergara in October.
Guaidó at one point briefly greeted Goudreau via video conference – as evidenced by an audio recording made on a hidden cellphone by Goudreau and which he shared with the Venezuelan journalist.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has used an allegedly signed contract between Guaidó and Goudreau to claim that his opposition leader was involved in the botched coup
‘Let’s get to work!’ said a voice that appears to be Guaidó in the leaked recording. He makes no mention of any military incursion.
A few days later, the team cut off contact with Goudreau, realizing he was unable to deliver what he had promised and because they were not getting along, the person said. An attempt to reactivate the accord fell through in November because the opposition has abandoned support for a private military incursion, the person said.
The last contact with Goudreau was a few weeks ago when a lawyer on the veteran’s behalf wrote Rendon seeking to collect a promised $1.5 million retainer.
Goudreau, through intermediaries, made it known that if they didn’t pay up he would release the agreement to the press, the person said.
The Maduro government requested an arrest warrant for both Goudreau and Rendón on Friday.
Guaidó and the U.S. government have denied any involvement.