Venezuela: 2 US ‘mercenaries’ among those nabbed after raid

By SCOTT SMITH and JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says authorities arrested two U.S. citizens among a group of “mercenaries” trying to kill him.

The Monday arrests come a day after a deadly beach raid near the Caribbean nation’s main port city.

Maduro appeared on state TV, holding up blue U.S. passports, belonging to Luke Denman and Airan Berry.

Both are former U.S. special forces soldiers. Maduro says they prove the U.S. is plotting his ouster.

They’re just two of dozens of Venezuelan officials have detained since the pre-dawn beach raid on Sunday that left eight people dead.