At a White House press conference on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. The move drew immediate ire from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who denounced it as a foreign-backed coup attempt.
Speaking to reporters, Trump accused Caracas of releasing prisoners and mental patients to cross into the United States and smuggling large volumes of narcotics. “They have emptied their prisons into the United States of America,” he said, alleging the flow of inmates from “insane asylums” without providing evidence.
When asked if he had authorized the CIA to target Maduro directly, Trump refused to answer, adding only, “I think Venezuela is feeling heat.” He also said his administration is considering land-based strikes, noting, “We are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control.”
Maduro swiftly responded, accusing the CIA of orchestrating “coups d’etat” against his government. According to reports by The New York Times, the new authorization allows the CIA to carry out lethal missions in Venezuela and the Caribbean and to coordinate with broader U.S. military operations in the region.
Data from U.S. defense sources indicate roughly 10,000 American troops, eight warships and one submarine are currently deployed in the Caribbean, largely based in Puerto Rico. Since September, the White House has approved five strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in international waters near Venezuela, resulting in 27 fatalities.
Earlier this month, the administration informed Congress that it is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels designated as terrorist groups. Yet, a 2020 U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration report noted that while some cocaine leaves South America via Venezuela, it is not a primary source of U.S.-bound narcotics.
Maduro has condemned Washington’s actions as an effort at regime change and military expansion in Latin America. The episode adds to a long history of CIA covert operations in the region and raises fresh questions about the balance between counter-narcotics efforts and geopolitical strategy.
As tensions escalate, the world watches closely to see how U.S. policy and Venezuelan resistance will shape the next chapter in this high-stakes standoff.
Reference(s):
Trump says CIA authorized to conduct covert operations in Venezuela
cgtn.com
