Current Project
Airan Berry and Luke Denman are currently being held in Venezuela. Their detention is related to the events that took place around May the 3rd and 4th 2020, which have been labeled “Operation Gideon.”
American Rescue Coalition is diligently working to bring these two American heroes home and assure their humane treatment in the meantime.
American Rescue Coalition’s strategy is to engage on every level possible within the scope of our core principles.
Our active team involves:
Venezuelan Attorneys for the defense against charges made by the Venezuelan government and promotion of humane treatment while Airan and Luke are held.
International investigators to gather as much information as possible about what actually happened to help inform our strategy.
Regional specialist advisors with years of experience with the Venezuelan government and relevant politics of the region to help guide our strategy.
U.S. attorneys to ensure our compliance with U.S. law and facilitate our cooperation with ongoing investigations in the U.S.
Various other NGOs.
What Happened
There are few facts available regarding Airan and Luke’s capture. This is an ongoing international incident with many interested powerful parties. Any information found on line should be taken with a grain of salt. One fact to keep in your mind; Luke and Airan were both in shorts and t-shirts with passports and driver’s licenses on them. The last known photograph, before they were captured, shows them unarmed in civilian clothing.
Our investigation is ongoing and there are a number of security issues to consider before information is made public. We will release details as we have them and as we are certain it will not endanger anyone.
What we do know is what Luke and Airan believed and what their character is.
Airan and Luke were both in the special forces.
The creed of special forces is Free the Oppressed. Those that are closest to these two guys know they embodied that creed. Airan and Luke have both expressed concern for the suffering of the people of Venezuela.
Airan Seth Berry, former Special Forces Engineer Sergeant, is a skilled craftsman and family man who has two children with his wife of 20 years. He is an involved parent who encourages his children to pursue their passions. Airan enjoys being outdoors with his family and shares a love of drawing with his children.
Always wanting to serve his country and being passionate about helping others, he signed up with the United States Army in 1996 after he graduated from high school, and served honorably until 2013. Airan was first stationed with the 1/18th Infantry Battalion in Germany, where he and his wife met. He was awarded the Special Forces Tab in 2002 and was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Later in his military career, he and his wife returned to Germany to be with their family, where he became an integral part of the local community.
Settling into civilian life, Airan temporarily provided guard duties and safety measures for the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees at the local arrival center/AnkER facility in Schweinfurt, Germany, where he began learning some basic Arabic in order to facilitate better communication with refugees, most of whom could not speak either German or English.
Airan earned two Bronze Star medals, the Meritorious Service Medal,the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, and Special Operations Diving Supervisor Badge. He was deployed multiple times during his military career, including three tours in Iraq.
Luke Alexander Denman, former Special Forces Communications Sergeant, is a commercial deep water diver who loves traveling across the United States with his girlfriend and their two rescue dogs. He signed up with the United States Army in 2006, following in the footsteps of his older brother, father, and grandfather, whose stories inspired him and instilled in him the desire to make a difference in people’s lives.
In 2008, he was awarded the Special Forces Tab and was stationed with the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) based in Germany. He lived there for three years enjoying the food, architecture, and beautiful landscapes. After many successful missions, he deployed to Iraq in 2010 and completed his enlistment honorably shortly afterwards in 2011. He then went on to serve in the Army Reserve for another three years until September 2014.
Luke earned the Army Commendation Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Luke is deeply passionate about the prevention of veteran suicide and has been involved with many events and organizations to raise awareness and provide support including a march with “22-2-none” in Austin in 2015. He often reaches out to friends with depression or suicidal thoughts to provide them with support and guide them to resources. As an animal lover, he has fostered and adopted multiple animals as well as participated in the production of the Heartthrobs and Hound Dogs calendar in 2016, which raised money for local animal shelters.
