Jordan Goudreau

 The Ex-Green Beret Case: Jordan Goudreau and the Failed Venezuela PlotBased on recent developments, it appears your query is referring to Jordan Goudreau, a former U.S. Army Green Beret (Special Forces operator) accused of leading a botched 2020 invasion attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Goudreau's story resurfaced in the news today (October 3, 2025) due to a federal court filing. I'll break it down by your specific questions, drawing from court documents and reporting.

1. What Are Prosecutors Seeking to Bring the Ex-Green Beret Back into Custody?

Federal prosecutors in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Tampa division) are seeking to revoke Goudreau's pretrial release and return him to custody. 

Background: Goudreau was arrested in July 2024 in New York on 14 federal charges, including conspiracy, smuggling military-grade weapons (e.g., AR-15 rifles, night-vision gear, and ammunition) from the U.S. to Colombia, and unlawful possession of a machine gun. These stem from his role in arming and training Venezuelan dissidents for the 2020 plot. He was extradited to Florida, where a judge released him on a $2 million bond in August 2024, citing his ties to the community and lack of prior criminal history.

Reason for Revocation: Prosecutors argue Goudreau poses a flight risk after he allegedly threatened the filmmaker who posted his bond. 

Specifically:The bondsman is Travis Gatien, co-director of the 2024 documentary Soldiers of the Storm (also titled Men of War in some markets), which features Goudreau's account of the raid.

In September 2025, Goudreau reportedly sent Gatien threatening messages, including warnings like "You better watch your back" and references to "consequences" for the film's portrayal of events. 

Prosecutors claim this shows Goudreau's willingness to intimidate witnesses and disregard court conditions (e.g., no contact with co-conspirators).

Current Status: A hearing is scheduled for next week in Tampa. If granted, Goudreau (age 48, from Welland, Ontario, but a U.S. resident) would be detained pending trial, expected in early 2026. Evidence includes DNA on smuggled weapons linking him directly to the plot.

This isn't an extradition case—Goudreau is already in U.S. jurisdiction—but the push for custody echoes his failed 2020 international escapades.

2. Who Tried to Bribe Who?There are no bribery charges in Goudreau's case. The allegations center on weapons smuggling and conspiracy, not corruption or payoffs. However, the plot involved murky funding and contracts that raised eyebrows:Key Financial Ties:Goudreau's company, Silvercorp USA (a Florida-based private security firm), signed a $212.9 million contract in 2019 with representatives of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó (then recognized by the U.S. as interim president). The deal was for "exploratory" services to capture Maduro, funded hypothetically by future Venezuelan oil revenues. Guaidó later disavowed it, claiming it was unauthorized.

Funding came from anonymous U.S. donors (including wealthy oil investors) and Venezuelan exiles, totaling under $1 million—far short of needs. No direct bribes, but prosecutors allege Goudreau misrepresented these as "official" opposition backing to recruit fighters.

No Evidence of Bribes: Court filings describe a "harebrained" operation driven by ambition, not quid-pro-quo corruption. 

Goudreau claimed it was inspired by a U.S. $15 million bounty on Maduro (raised to $25 million in 2025), but no payments changed hands illegally. 

In short: No one "tried to bribe" anyone in this plot—it's more a tale of unfulfilled promises and smuggling.

3. Why Is the Left, Alone, Interested in This Story?The story isn't "left alone"—it's getting broad coverage today from center and right-leaning outlets like AP News (center), Military.com (slight right/military focus), CBS Miami (center), and Florida Politics (center-right). However, your perception of left-leaning interest might stem from the plot's anti-Maduro, pro-Trump-era interventionist roots, which align with U.S. conservative foreign policy hawks. Here's a balanced view:Outlet

Bias Rating (per AllSides/Media Bias Chart)

Coverage Angle

Why It Fits Their Audience

AP News

Center

Neutral recap of custody bid; focuses on threats to filmmaker.

Broad, factual wire service—appeals to all.

Military.com

Slight Right (military-focused)

Emphasizes Goudreau's Green Beret service and plot details; notes his CIA/FBI sabotage claims.

Resonates with vets/conservatives skeptical of "deep state."

CBS Miami

Center-Left

Highlights failed "coup" and flight risk; local FL angle.

Urban audience; critiques U.S. meddling abroad.

Politico (2024 coverage)

Center-Left

Frames as "failed Trump-era plot" amid Maduro's 2024 election fraud claims.

Policy wonks; ties to U.S. regime-change history (e.g., Iraq).

Fox News/Al Jazeera (historical)

Right / Left

Fox: Pro-Trump intervention; Al Jazeera: Anti-imperialist critique.

Polarized—right sees heroism, left sees recklessness.

Left Interest: Progressive outlets (e.g., past coverage in The Guardian or Democracy Now!) amplify it as evidence of U.S. imperialism and failed regime-change ops under Trump, linking to broader critiques of interventions in Latin America (e.g., Bay of Pigs comparisons). Maduro's socialist government is a left ally for some, so stories portraying U.S. plots as clownish reinforce "Yankee meddling" narratives. With Maduro's disputed 2024 reelection, left media might revisit it to question U.S. hypocrisy on democracy.

Not Exclusive: Right-leaning sources cover it for Goudreau's military cred and his 2025 claims that the CIA/FBI "sabotaged" his Trump-authorized op (denied by agencies). It's a flashpoint for "America First" vs. establishment foreign policy debates. Overall coverage is factual and low-drama, spiking due to the timely custody motion.

Confirmation: Yes, He Was Part of a Plot to Overthrow Venezuela's PresidentAbsolutely—Goudreau led Operation Gideon, a May 3-4, 2020, amphibious raid dubbed the "Bay of Piglets" for its fiasco-level failure:The Plot: ~60 Venezuelan army deserters, trained by Goudreau in Colombia, launched from boats near Macuto (east of Caracas). Goal: Seize an airfield, spark a rebellion, capture Maduro, and install Guaidó. Goudreau armed them via smuggled U.S. gear; two of his ex-Green Beret recruits (Luke Denman and Airan Berry) were captured.

Outcome: Venezuelan forces ambushed them—8 dead, 50+ arrested (including Denman and Berry, sentenced to 20 years before a 2023 U.S. prisoner swap). AP exposed it days prior, dooming secrecy. Goudreau fled to the U.S., claiming Trump/Pence tacit approval (denied).

Why It Failed: Underfunded, leaky boats, no air support, and intel leaks. Goudreau later blamed U.S. agencies in court filings.

This case highlights the risks of private mercenaries in geopolitics—Goudreau's trial could expose more on U.S.-Venezuela tensions. If you have more details or meant a different story, fire away!