The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, confirmed that he has tasked the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with conducting covert operations in Venezuela, representing a significant escalation in American efforts to pressure the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
This confidential directive was first published by the New York Times, citing US officials familiar with the decision, and reported that the Trump administration’s strategy aims to remove Maduro from office, according to Reuters.
The administration has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and conviction for drug trafficking.
According to the Times, the new powers would allow the CIA to conduct lethal operations in Venezuela and expand its activities in the Caribbean.
When asked why he had given the CIA the authority to operate in Venezuela, Trump replied that it was because of the migration of Venezuelans to the US and drug trafficking.
“I authorized it for two reasons. One, they emptied their prisons in the United States, they came across the border. They came in because we had an open border. And two, it’s drugs,” said Trump, who did not provide evidence for the claim that Venezuela was sending former prisoners to the United States.
He added that the United States had made progress in intercepting drug shipments at sea, and that additional efforts were now being focused on land routes.
“We’re looking at land now, because we control the sea,” Trump said.
Historically, the CIA’s involvement in such operations has ranged from direct military action to intelligence gathering and support with minimal physical presence. The CIA has a long history of operations in Latin America, particularly during the Cold War, and played a key role in dismantling drug cartels in South America in the late 20th century. Reuters previously reported that the CIA has been conducting covert operations in Mexico for years to capture the most wanted drug lords.
The Venezuelan government has condemned Trump’s statements as a violation of international law, arguing that the US actions are aimed at legitimizing a “regime change” operation aimed at seizing the country’s oil resources.
“Our permanent mission to the UN will file a complaint tomorrow with the Security Council and the Secretary-General, demanding accountability from the United States government,” Foreign Minister Ivan Gil said in a statement on his Telegram account.
Trump also accused Venezuela of releasing a large number of prisoners, including those from psychiatric institutions, into the United States, although he did not specify which border they allegedly entered through. Maduro’s information ministry, as well as representatives for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Trump administration has provided little information about the operations, which has caused frustration among members of Congress, including some Republicans.
Yesterday, Senator Jane Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the administration had brought the US closer to open conflict.
“The American people deserve to know whether the administration is leading the United States into a new conflict, putting service members at risk, or conducting a regime change operation,” she said.
