U.S. seeks information on "mercenary" suspect in Venezuela

U.S. seeks information on "mercenary" suspect in Venezuela

www.reuters.com

The United States expressed skepticism on Friday over Venezuela's arrest of a suspected American "mercenary," and said diplomats should be given access to the man if President Hugo Chavez's statements are true.

In the latest incident between the two ideologically opposed nations, Chavez said the American man, of Hispanic origin, was arrested crossing into Venezuela from Colombia with a notebook full of geographic coordinates.

"He has the look of a mercenary," Chavez said at an election ra

(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm not quite sure to make of this since both sides are known to bend the truth to suit their agendas. Chavez may be right on this one though due to previous attempted coups he has suffered.

We all know the United States considers Venezuela the bad guy but as for why they would send a "merc" into Venezuela leaves me puzzled. I can think of various reasons but none of them are very concrete.

This could be a non story, but if true it could lead to some interesting developments. I can't wait to watch this one unfold.



www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm not quite sure to make of this since both sides are known to bend the truth to suit their agendas.

 

When in doubt, believe no one at least that is what me Granny always said.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Very stange indeed. If it is true what would he be doing there is completely a mystery to me. This will probably be sept under very quickly if it is of any importance. May need to keep an eye on Chavez's side of the fence for any new developments.

Interesting find OP.

It's Sean Penn.

I'm more apt to take Chavez' side in this, as I've heard more truths fall from his mouth than from the U.S. governments.

American man with a tourist map maybe?

In all seriousness, I would not be surprised if the US has some kind of presence there. Mercenary seems a bit of a stretch though. Intelligence agent for sure.

By the sound of the story, he wasn't working for anyone with even half a brain. What idiot crosses into a nation he ought to know is anything but friendly...with a passport that makes him look like he's writing the next Hitchhikers Guide series? Heck, even the Contractor companies ought to know better and I believe even Chavez would call his international list of war zones visited one hell of a clue.

Maybe someone has a Rambo complex or chasing someone specific?

* Funny... I just noticed Reuters isn't carrying this detail?

Chavez said the passport the man was carrying had stamps from recent years in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The president also said police seized a notebook with written coordinates from the man.

Source

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Thanks for the update on the situation.

I was unaware of the tidbit you shared from the CNN article.

This new information if true does add some "mystery" to the possible "conspiracy".

Great contribution Wrabbit

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

Chavez said the passport the man was carrying had stamps from recent years in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The president also said police seized a notebook with written coordinates from the man.

Source

Interesting connection. Assuming this information is correct, the man might as well have painted a target on his back.

I wonder what kind of intelligence, assuming he is a US agent, was trying to collect. Be so obvious, i would think he didnt plan on going into any restricted areas. I can do a recon of the terrain with Google maps if i needed...



CLASSIFIED INFO ABOVE

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


I'd like to know what the list of coordinates respond to.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


I'd like to know what the list of coordinates respond to.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
By the sound of the story, he wasn't working for anyone with even half a brain. What idiot crosses into a nation he ought to know is anything but friendly...with a passport that makes him look like he's writing the next Hitchhikers Guide series? Heck, even the Contractor companies ought to know better and I believe even Chavez would call his international list of war zones visited one hell of a clue.

Maybe someone has a Rambo complex or chasing someone specific?

* Funny... I just noticed Reuters isn't carrying this detail?

Chavez said the passport the man was carrying had stamps from recent years in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The president also said police seized a notebook with written coordinates from the man.

Source

Unless it is a cover for this guy there is no way any black op would send him into the country with a passport all stamped up like that. They can create whatever cover they want why make if obvious... Then again lots of professions other than PMC or merc could have legit passport thusly marked - journalists for one.

Besides, not for you WAB but someone else…who said the US considers Chavez regime hostile - hell didn't he and Barry swap all but their tongues on their last meeting.

Also, just for the record when a cover is used it’s never from the US it’s always from the third country. One whose language the operator speaks so that you are plausablely a Russian in Egypt or whatever so that you can be a Russian who speaks English and no one has a way to check out your Russian.

We don't cover our operators from the US that is silly. That would be a clandestine operation not a covert one. In a clandestine operation we don't care if the nation figures out it was us while a covert operation absolute deniability is desired.

He could be a really bad private contractor I guess with prior US militray service.

In the article posted, the man Chavez says looks like a mercenary, says he was a US Marine.

They went on to further say that he was resisting interrogation techniques.... I am certain they used some dirty techniques for them to have even been motivated to make a statement like that.

I don't care if the guy is a merc. There is an American in trouble in a potentially damning situation. Either he needs to be extracted, or.... Well the alternative is much less appealing.

Situations like this turn rotten very quickly, IMO.

Just because he's a merc, doesn't mean any of the U.S. agencies hired him. Could be hired as a private hitman or snoop. You know, that whole soldier of fortune thing. Not like people in that part of the world don't have money and their own agendas. Could be something as simple as one drug kingpin offering to pay out for a hit on another.

Of course our embassy is interested, even if he's not hired by the gov't. A guy from the U.S. going through that kind of trouble in a country that doesn't like the U.S., there must be some money going somewhere and that's got somebody's attention. It's about the connections they could draw from that and the political climate that might be leveraged.

reply to post by W3RLIED2


Bud, you got an awesome avatar. Star for you...

Would not surprise me if Blackwater was playing down there. But Blackwater has turned global and works for many countries now not just the US.

Blackwater is now Academi.
They do protection of crown prince of Abu Dhabi.

Don't know if the story is true or not, but I would bet the farm that there are mercenaries putting in overtime over there already.

They might even be responsible for Hugo's cancer.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


thats interesting...