Trump Confirms He Authorized Covert CIA Operations in Venezuela
President Trump Confirms CIA Covert Operations in Venezuela, Considers Strikes on Drug Cartels
President Donald Trump has confirmed that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and indicated that the US is considering strikes against drug cartels in the region.
In recent weeks, US forces have carried out at least five strikes on suspected drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean, resulting in 27 deaths. UN-appointed human rights experts have condemned the raids as “extrajudicial executions.”
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the US “is looking at land” as it evaluates further military action in the region. The president’s statements come amid efforts to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose leadership the US and several other nations do not recognize following disputed elections.
The increased US military presence has heightened concerns in Caracas over the possibility of an attack. According to the New York Times, Trump’s authorization gives the CIA the ability to operate in Venezuela independently or as part of broader US military activities. It remains unclear whether any operations are currently planned or if they are being held in reserve.
During a press briefing with FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump addressed the New York Times report. When asked why he authorized the CIA to operate in Venezuela, he responded:
“I authorized it for two reasons. First, they [Venezuela] have emptied their prisons into the United States. Second, the drug problem. A lot of Venezuelan drugs come by sea, and we will stop them by land as well.”
Trump declined to comment on whether the CIA could move to remove Maduro, who currently has a $50 million bounty on his head.
Venezuelan officials have reacted defiantly. Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez warned on television: “Let no aggressor dare because here are the people of Bolívar, our ancestors’ people with their swords raised to defend us under any circumstance.”
The most recent US strike, carried out on Tuesday, targeted a vessel near Venezuela’s coast, killing six. Trump posted on Truth Social that intelligence confirmed the boat was trafficking narcotics and linked to illicit networks operating along known drug corridors. However, US officials have not specified the identities of the vessel’s occupants or the organization involved.
These strikes are part of a broader US strategy to pressure Maduro’s government, which has included deploying substantial air and naval assets to the region and positioning roughly 4,000 troops. A leaked memo sent to US lawmakers described the situation as a “non-international armed conflict” with drug-trafficking organizations.
US officials have accused Maduro of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns,” allegedly composed of high-ranking Venezuelan military and security officials engaged in drug trafficking—a claim Maduro has repeatedly denied. Venezuela’s government has strongly condemned the US strikes.
