WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he has authorized teh Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, citing concerns over drug trafficking and the release of prisoners into the United States.
The authorization, initially reported by The New York Times citing multiple U.S. officials, allows the CIA to undertake lethal operations against President Nicolás Maduro or his government, perhaps independently or in conjunction with broader military actions. It remains unclear if any operations are currently planned or if the authorization serves as a contingency measure.
“When they’re loaded up with drugs, they’re fair game,” Trump stated during a Wednesday press conference, adding the U.S. possesses “deep strong information” regarding vessels departing venezuelan territory. He further emphasized the flow of narcotics, stating, “We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea.”
The directive follows an escalating U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, where naval forces have intercepted boats suspected of drug trafficking off Venezuela’s coast, resulting in 27 deaths in recent weeks. Trump asserted U.S.forces have extensive intelligence on these suspected vessels, claiming, “We know before we know when they go out. We have much information about each boat that goes out, deep, strong information,” and reported finding ”drug dust” and “fentanyl dust” on intercepted boats.
This authorization marks a shift in CIA involvement, extending beyond traditional security and intelligence collaboration with regional governments – including operations against cartels in Mexico – to explicitly permit direct lethal operations.
the strategy was developed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, in collaboration with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Rubio has consistently deemed Maduro illegitimate, and the administration has labeled him a “narcoterrorist,” offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest on drug trafficking charges.
