Venezuelan officers seek asylum

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- A senior officer accused of taking part in a brief coup in Venezuela arrived to asylum in El Salvador on Friday as three other officers announced they were seeking shelter in the United States.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was deposed April 12 by military generals after 17 people died and hundreds were wounded when an opposition march collided with government supporters.

Loyal troops -- backed by thousands of civilian protesters -- swept Chavez back to power two days later, ousting his brief successor, Pedro Carmona, a businessman. Carmona took refuge in Colombia last week.

Rear Adm. Carlos Molina Tamayo, who had been named head of the presidential guard by Carmona, arrived from the Venezuelan capital of Caracas aboard a commercial jet amid tight security.

Tamayo sought refuge inside El Salvador's Embassy in Caracas on May 25, saying he feared for his life.