WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House National Security Council on Friday denied the United States was involved in a bungled incursion into Venezuela this week, allegedly to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, adding if it had been, it would have been “overt, direct & effective.”
The NSC issued a statement via Twitter after Maduro said that Venezuelan authorities had detained a pair of U.S. citizens working with a U.S. military veteran who has claimed responsibility for the foiled operation.
President Donald Trump had already denied U.S. involvement in the incident but the NSC took it a step further.
“The U.S. Govt had nothing to do with recent events alleged in Venezuela. Claims to the contrary are not credible. If this had been a U.S.-planned operation as claimed by Maduro, who’s been indicted on narco-terrorism charges, it would have been overt, direct & effective,” the statement said.
(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
