Florida Man takes on Venezuela

[Trunkage]

Silver Corp USA has been caught out doing operation in Venezuela. They were paid $50k to try to take Caracas and Maduro, with a final payout of over $200M. 13 contractors have been captured https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/05/04/world/americas/04reuters-venezuela-security.html

Jordan Goudreau has made a statement saying they were there to generate an insurgency.... because he probably like to either jail or execute his employees, apparently. Maduro calls them terrorists and is stating that the US is attacking them. The US state department stated it's not true. which may actually not be a falsehood. $50K is not a lot of money and the contractors were not well equipped. (Venezuela Intelligence had to pay for these contractors to meet conspirators, and gain further intel, they were tat poor.) And, I personally don't think a company with USA is it title would be used by the US as a way to distance themselves. That would be counterproductive.

But... this could be an inciting incident by either side to start something again.

 

[lil devils x]

Silver Corp USA has been caught out doing operation in Venezuela. They were paid $50k to try to take Caracas and Maduro, with a final payout of over $200M. 13 contractors have been captured https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/05/04/world/americas/04reuters-venezuela-security.html

Jordan Goudreau has made a statement saying they were there to generate an insurgency.... because he probably like to either jail or execute his employees, apparently. Maduro calls them terrorists and is stating that the US is attacking them. The US state department stated it's not true. which may actually not be a falsehood. $50K is not a lot of money and the contractors were not well equipped. (Venezuela Intelligence had to pay for these contractors to meet conspirators, and gain further intel, they were tat poor.) And, I personally don't think a company with USA is it title would be used by the US as a way to distance themselves. That would be counterproductive.

But... this could be an inciting incident by either side to start something again.

Great, so now we have random US militias not only attacking people in the US, they are doing so in Venezuela now as well. Not like I am surprised at all, they have been doing so to protect companies financial interests for quite some time now, so though this isn't new, just another problem we have to manage on top of everything else right now.

 

[tstorm823]

I wasn't sure where I landed on this one until I saw the part where the US mercenary lord claims to have a $200 million contract signed personally by Juan Guaido... so it's 100% fake, right? Just like, 0% chance this is real, it's absolutely fabricated?

Just to be clear, we're being told that two Americans were captured and many more killed while attempting to overthrow Maduro in Venzuela, and they showed up by boat with two forms of identification on them, including work IDs to trace back to a Florida company where the company president openly claimed responsibility and immediately made public statements about his financial support by the Venezuelan opposition.

 

[Agema]

Silver Corp USA has been caught out doing operation in Venezuela. They were paid $50k to try to take Caracas and Maduro, with a final payout of over $200M. 13 contractors have been captured https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/05/04/world/americas/04reuters-venezuela-security.html

Right. Paid $50k up front, and... $200M on completion? Seems to me a bit more like $50k to cause a ruckus with absolutely no expectation that the supposed op would succeed, so they hired a Mickey Mouse organisation for shit-stirring.

I wasn't sure where I landed on this one until I saw the part where the US mercenary lord claims to have a $200 million contract signed personally by Juan Guaido... so it's 100% fake, right? Just like, 0% chance this is real, it's absolutely fabricated?

Just to be clear, we're being told that two Americans were captured and many more killed while attempting to overthrow Maduro in Venzuela, and they showed up by boat with two forms of identification on them, including work IDs to trace back to a Florida company where the company president openly claimed responsibility and immediately made public statements about his financial support by the Venezuelan opposition.

I definitely think something really fucking weird thing going on, that totally isn't what it seems to be... or that a certain US mercenary "lord" is an overconfident and gullible tool with delusions of greatness who got played by a chancer.

 

[tstorm823]

I definitely think something really fucking weird thing going on, that totally isn't what it seems to be... or that a certain US mercenary "lord" is an overconfident and gullible tool with delusions of greatness who got played by a chancer.

The latter might be the truth, but with a hefty, hefty dose of Maduro trying to take full advantage, making things less clear. If Maduro was just like "look at these idiots, Jesus Christ" it would be an obvious case of incompetent zealots. But because he's trying to make it a statement about US intervention in Venezuela, it makes things a bit blurry.

 

[Trunkage]

The latter might be the truth, but with a hefty, hefty dose of Maduro trying to take full advantage, making things less clear. If Maduro was just like "look at these idiots, Jesus Christ" it would be an obvious case of incompetent zealots. But because he's trying to make it a statement about US intervention in Venezuela, it makes things a bit blurry.

It's highly likely Guido or Maduro did it. They both need an excuse to attack the othet side, and these mercs were clearly the scapegoat

 

[Agema]

It's highly likely Guido or Maduro did it. They both need an excuse to attack the othet side, and these mercs were clearly the scapegoat

I think it's highly unlikely either did it. I can believe someone paid to do it, but that someone is a fucking moron.

 

[Avnger]

I think it's highly unlikely either did it. I can believe someone paid to do it, but that someone is a fucking moron.

So Kushner?

Note: There has been absolutely zero evidence uncovered so far that anyone in the Trump admin was involved.

That said, this totally has Kushner written all over it based on stupidity alone.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

...where the US mercenary lord claims to have a $200 million contract signed personally by Juan Guaido....

I have to think that anyone who could afford to pay a $200 million contract would be smart enough not to actually sign it with their own name. I mean, that's original-GI Joe Cobra Commander levels of "blatant evil" there.

 

[Seanchaidh]

Venezuelan fishermen defeat foreign invasion.

Thankful these chucklefucks failed, anyway.

 

[Trunkage]

I think it's highly unlikely either did it. I can believe someone paid to do it, but that someone is a fucking moron.

I don’t get how they took only 50k because that’s peanuts in the merc industry. Why, as one of these people risking your lives, would you take such a little pay?

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

I mean, they put a biblical name on their lame Bay of Pigs cosplay: they might just be stupid. I can fully believe these idiots bought into their own hype

 

[Thaluikhain]

I don’t get how they took only 50k because that’s peanuts in the merc industry. Why, as one of these people risking your lives, would you take such a little pay?

13 of them, apparently, and a decent AR-15 costs between $1,000 and $2,000 (though you can get cheaper). That's a quarter to half of that $50k right there.

But, let us not forget in this forum we are also discussing a guy building pipebombs to fight against covid restrictions, and the guy who tried to crash a freight train into a hospital ship (and fell 200m or so short).

I'd not be surprised at all to find out that these were embarrassingly inept wannabe hero types who thought it was a good idea with both of their brain cells.

 

[Agema]

I don’t get how they took only 50k because that’s peanuts in the merc industry. Why, as one of these people risking your lives, would you take such a little pay?

Well, that's what makes me think "amateur hour".

Running an op requires a load of expenses: equipment, transport, contacts, deals, etc. and $50k is a ludicrously small sum for this sort of job. It's kind of hard to think a company will take on that sort of burden itself without a good chance of a payday, and the chances of this op (as we currently know of it) coming through was exceptionally low. And then a $200 million payday? I'm sorry, but... $200 million? That's insane. Now arguably in a risk-benefit analysis it could persuade someone to take much higher risk, but if the risk is that high it's gambling, not business.

After that, and it (predictably) goes south, what leader of a merc. outfit promptly brags about the embarrassing fiasco and makes it even more likely any residual chance of mission accomplishments will fail, and publicly identifies his alleged employers? Isn't confidentiality about secret operations and employers kind of important? That mercenary leader is either grossly incompetent or nuts. And if he's that much of a fool, who on earth was stupid enough to hire him and sign their names on a dotted line to prove their involvement?

Thus either Jordan Goudreau is an incompetent hired by incompetents - and such things do happen, e.g. the half-baked coup plot in Equatorial Guinea about 20 years ago, or there is something very strange going on.

 

[SupahEwok]

I went looking a little at public records for this.

Detail by Entity Name

search.sunbiz.org

Silvercorp USA's records of incorporation. Note that what I think is the living address of the owner is listed among the records. You may not wish to look if you consider that doxing.

Otherwise, there's not too much information to be gleaned. Biggest nugget I noticed is that the COO's address is in Colorado Springs. Which gives me the impression that a lot of administrative work is done by remote, which is an indicator of a modern small business.

Silvercorp USA's website: https://www.silvercorpusa.com/

It's not the most professional out there. And the business has very few Google reviews, most of which were made over the past day as news of the failed coup broke.

My impressions: Silvercorp USA is a small business that works mainly be remote that serves as a front for a retired Special Forces soldier to get guard gigs for his former service buddies. They are no massive Private Military Contractor like Blackwater. As @Agema said, this is likely a work of delusion of grandeur.

 

[Trunkage]

Well, that's what makes me think "amateur hour".

Running an op requires a load of expenses: equipment, transport, contacts, deals, etc. and $50k is a ludicrously small sum for this sort of job. It's kind of hard to think a company will take on that sort of burden itself without a good chance of a payday, and the chances of this op (as we currently know of it) coming through was exceptionally low. And then a $200 million payday? I'm sorry, but... $200 million? That's insane. Now arguably in a risk-benefit analysis it could persuade someone to take much higher risk, but if the risk is that high it's gambling, not business.

After that, and it (predictably) goes south, what leader of a merc. outfit promptly brags about the embarrassing fiasco and makes it even more likely any residual chance of mission accomplishments will fail, and publicly identifies his alleged employers? Isn't confidentiality about secret operations and employers kind of important? That mercenary leader is either grossly incompetent or nuts. And if he's that much of a fool, who on earth was stupid enough to hire him and sign their names on a dotted line to prove their involvement?

Thus either Jordan Goudreau is an incompetent hired by incompetents - and such things do happen, e.g. the half-baked coup plot in Equatorial Guinea about 20 years ago, or there is something very strange going on.

Id point out that Trump put $15mil on Maduro in Feb… so maybe he was hoping for something from him.

Edit: Also, someone might have told him that Maduro is unpopular, which is not true

 

[CM156]

Id point out that Trump put $15mil on Maduro in Feb… so maybe he was hoping for something from him.

Edit: Also, someone might have told him that Maduro is unpopular, which is not true

This is why you have to do research on the country whose government you have committed to overthrow.

Thus either Jordan Goudreau is an incompetent hired by incompetents - and such things do happen, e.g. the half-baked coup plot in Equatorial Guinea about 20 years ago, or there is something very strange going on.

I'm putting my money on the second one. 2020 has been a strange year and we're only in May

 

[Agema]

My impressions: Silvercorp USA is a small business that works mainly be remote that serves as a front for a retired Special Forces soldier to get guard gigs for his former service buddies. They are no massive Private Military Contractor like Blackwater. As @Agema said, this is likely a work of delusion of grandeur.

So there's been a bit more that has trickled out that back up delusions of grandeur: it does look rather like Goudreau may have had some sort of Tom Clancy hero fantasy going on his head.

It seems some of the Venezualan opposition met with Goudreau, and there were initial signals of interest. However, the Venezualanscame to realise Goudreau was unreliable - he seems to have been remarkably indiscreet and this sort of op was well out his company's normal league - so started backing out. Goudreau, however, insisted on pressing ahead: blazing arguments and legal threats. It seems Goudreau did sink a load of his company's money into it, and with no payment forthcoming, ended up running his op anyway without the agreement of his unwilling not-employers.

So apparently, Associated Press reported on a potential coup a couple of days before the failed op. If AP knew something was up, the Venezualan government almost certainly did. Mike Pompeo, asked about it, said the US government "was not directly involved", which is interesting wording as it suggests that at minimum the US government knew. Silvercorp's corporate profile is padded: the jobs it has done are embellished considerably to seem a lot more important and impressive.

 

[tstorm823]

So apparently, Associated Press reported on a potential coup a couple of days before the failed op. If AP knew something was up, the Venezualan government almost certainly did. Mike Pompeo, asked about it, said the US government "was not directly involved", which is interesting wording as it suggests that at minimum the US government knew. Silvercorp's corporate profile is padded: the jobs it has done are embellished considerably to seem a lot more important and impressive.

I have no good source on this, so take it as rumor, but I read someone suggest the CIA not only knew, they actively tried to talk them out of it.

 

[Seanchaidh]

This is why you have to do research on the country whose government you have committed to overthrow.

Seems like maybe this sort of thing should be done before committing to overthrow a country.