Blackwater founder Prince's secret Venezuela talks not on behalf of U.S. -State Dept

Erik Prince, a controversial private security executive and prominent supporter of President Donald Trump, was not acting as an official U.S. messenger when he reportedly visited Venezuela in secret last month, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.

"He carried no message from the United States government," U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliot Abrams told reporters at a news briefing. "He was not going on our behalf."