US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he has authorized CIA operations on Venezuelan soil. The decision allows intelligence operatives to conduct missions targeting the government of President Nicolas Maduro, whom Trump has accused of supporting “narco-terrorist” cartels and contributing to the flow of cocaine and fentanyl into the United States.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump cited two main reasons for the authorization. He claimed that Venezuelan prisons had been emptied into the US and emphasized the ongoing flow of drugs from Venezuela, particularly via maritime routes. He added that efforts would also target drug trafficking by land, but declined to clarify whether the CIA is authorized to directly target Maduro, calling such a question “ridiculous.”
During his first term, Trump imposed sweeping sanctions on Venezuela and recently raised the bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. The US has deployed naval forces in the eastern Caribbean and has destroyed at least five vessels allegedly involved in drug smuggling since September.
Maduro has denied the accusations and accused the United States of attempting to destabilize his government, stating that the Venezuelan military is prepared to repel any potential invasion. The announcement underscores ongoing tensions between Washington and Caracas as the US intensifies its campaign against drug trafficking in the region.
