3 boats dragged into Venezuela 'by current': Colombia

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Colombia has said that its three abandoned navy boats dragged into Venezuela due to "strong current" on Meta River, signaling no connection with failed May 3 raids.

The statement came late Saturday after the Venezuelan army seized the boats.

According to a preliminary investigation, "three boats of the Colombian Navy that were in a Fluvial Control Post moored on the banks of the Meta River, in the department of Vichada, on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, and at the time they were unmanned, they were dragged away by the river currents at dawn today," the Colombian army said.

Due to "the strong currents," the boats were dragged without having the opportunity to get them back, it added.

The Colombian Navy has already informed Venezuelan naval post in Puerto Paez of the situation, and coordinated the recovery of the boats, it said, adding that the boats will be delivered "once the authorization of the superior command is obtained."

Venezuela seized early Saturday three abandoned Colombian boats while patrolling the Orinoco river, several days after President Nicolas Maduro accused its neighbor of supporting failed raids.

The boats equipped with machine guns and ammunition were unmanned, according to the Defense Ministry.

- Operation Gideon

Venezuela confronted two failed maritime raids on May 3, which the Maduro government held the US responsible for along with Colombia.

Luke Denman and Airan Berry, two US mercenaries, were detained along with 17 armed attackers of Operation Gideon, which was launched to "liberate" Venezuela and capture Maduro.

Last week, Maduro revealed a contract allegedly aiming to oust his government.

The contract was signed by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, his advisors Sergio Vergara and Juan Jose Rendon, former US Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, who owns SilverCorps USA, a private security firm, and attorney Manuel Retureta.

Although there is no Colombian-linked signature on the contract, Maduro held the Ivan Duque's government responsible for the aggression as well as the US as the two detained Americans confessed in video testimony how the team got to Colombia and organized armed groups to enter Venezuela.

Denman and Berry also confirmed the contract and signatory parties mentioned by Maduro.

Maduro and Guaido are engaged in a bitter power struggle for over a year now. Besides political uncertainty, the South American country faces skyrocketing hyperinflation, power cuts and shortages of food and medicine.