But some analysts doubt top military officials who have amassed immense power under Maduro, and are sanctioned by the U.S., ever seriously considered betraying him. For years, U.S. officials tried to identify ways to engage the military, the traditional arbiter of political disputes in Venezuela. There was no immediate comment from the White House. So White House officials didn't want to be seen as encouraging a barracks revolt and were wary of interacting with officials facing U.S. investigations for drug trafficking or corruption. In early 2016, a trusted associate, retired Gen. Jimmy Guzman, traveled to Washington for a meeting with a senior official from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.

Source: Fox News May 03, 2019 21:22 UTC