Members of Venezuela's opposition in October negotiated a 213 million U.S. dollars deal with a small Florida security company to invade the country and overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, according to a document published by the Washington Post on Thursday.

Venezuelan authorities this week arrested more than a dozen people, including Americans who work for the company Silvercorp USA, as part of a bungled incursion.

The two Americans captured appeared on state television in Venezuela on Wednesday and Thursday, saying that they had been tasked by Silvercorp with taking control of the airport in Caracas in order to fly out Maduro. Both will be tried in Venezuela's civilian courts, Maduro said.

The document deals a blow to the credibility of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has vehemently denied any links to Silvercorp or involvement in the attempt to remove Maduro by force.

Guaido, the president of the opposition-held National Assembly, argues that Maduro is usurping power after rigging a 2018 election and is recognized by dozens of countries as Venezuela's rightful leader.

The plan described in the 42-page document offers minute tactical details ranging from which land mines to deploy and what riot gear to use, but offers no explanation of how a small group of commandos could overpower hundreds of thousands of security forces who remain loyal to the ruling Socialist Party.

On Thursday, state television aired a video with captured American Airan Berry, who said the objectives of the mission were to control specific targets such as intelligence service Sebin and military intelligence group DGCIM and to "get" Maduro.

The document said, "Service Provider Group will advise and assist Partner Group in Planning and executing the operation to capture/detain/remove Nicolas Maduro (hereinafter "Primary Objective"), remove the current Regime, and install the recognized Venezuelan President Juan Guaido."

The Washington Post said the general services agreement, signed by Guaido, had been provided by Silvercorp CEO Jordan Goudreau, who has publicly described leading the operation. It said the detailed attachment had been provided by Venezuelan opposition officials.

Guaido advisor Juan Rendon, whose signature also appears on the document, told CNN that he signed an "exploratory agreement" with Silvercorp but that it was never completed. He said Silvercorp had led a "botched suicide" mission without Guaido's support.

The document was also signed by opposition legislator Sergio Vergara and Goudreau.

Two main opposition parties, First Justice and Popular Will - which Guaido is affiliated with - on Thursday said in a statement that "the democratic forces do not promote or finance guerrillas, outbreaks of violence or paramilitary groups," reiterating calls for a transition government.

The logos of six other parties, including Democratic Action and A New Era, which have significant representation in the National Assembly, appear on the document.

Democrats press Trump for answers

Three Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are demanding answers from the Trump administration about how much it knew about an attempted raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an operation they said potentially violated U.S. law and ran counter to American support for negotiations to end the South American country's political standoff.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Attorney General William Barr and Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, the lawmakers led by Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut expressed "alarm" about the raid led by a former Green Beret and which has resulted in the detention in Venezuela of two American citizens.

"Either the U.S. government was unaware of these planned operations, or was aware and allowed them to proceed," according to the letter sent Thursday. "Both possibilities are problematic."

The letter cited the findings of an Associated Press investigation into Jordan Goudreau, who claimed responsibility for the foiled incursion. The AP investigation detailed how Goudreau, through his Florida private security firm, had teamed up with a retired Venezuelan army official to train at secret camps in Colombia dozens of deserters from Venezuela's security forces for a mission targeting Maduro, for whose capture the U.S. has offered a 15 million U.S. dollar bounty.

Trump has denied any U.S. involvement in the raid and Goudreau has said he was unable to ever persuade the Trump administration to support his bold plan for a private coup.

Maduro has insisted the operation was directed by the White House. Meanwhile, aides to Guaido, the opposition leader recognized by the U.S. and 60 other nations as Venezuela's rightful leader, have acknowledged exploring the idea last year but said they quickly backed out after deciding Goudreau couldn't deliver or be trusted.

The letter, which was also signed by Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, cites provisions in the VERDAD act, signed into law by Trump in late 2019, that state it is U.S. policy to support diplomatic engagement to bring a negotiated and peaceful end to Venezuela's political, economic and humanitarian crisis.

It also seeks the intelligence community's assessment about the legitimacy of a contract that Goudreau has presented and that he says was signed by Guaido and two Miami-based aides allegedly authorizing his actions.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover image: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro holds a document during a virtual news conference in Caracas, Venezuela May 6, 2020. /Reuters)