President Donald Trump has given the CIA the green light to execute covert operations within Venezuela, according to a report from The New York Times on Tuesday.
This announcement comes on the heels of the U.S. deploying its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, to the Caribbean Sea. The covert operations might set the stage for a more extensive military intervention, as noted by sources informed about the situation.
Sources also shared that negotiations behind the scenes with the Venezuelan government haven’t yielded any results so far. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has expressed a willingness to resign after a prolonged period, but the Trump administration has turned down his offer, as stated by officials.
The White House has yet to comment on the matter.
In a recent interview, Trump referred to Maduro as a “terrorist,” leaving the door open to the possibility of sending U.S. troops to Venezuela. When asked if that could happen, Trump replied, “No, I wouldn’t rule it out, I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
He added, “We’re just going to take care of Venezuela. Venezuela has dumped hundreds of thousands of people from prison into our country. No one knows it better than this young woman here,” referring to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “She has done a great job working with Tom Homan and the entire staff.”
Following this, the U.S. has conducted numerous strikes on vessels suspected of drug smuggling in Latin American waters, with at least 21 operations reported since September, the most recent one occurring on Sunday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced on Sunday that he would classify the Cartel de los Soles—a criminal organization associated with Maduro and his allies—as a foreign terrorist group as tensions escalate.
When questioned about the prospect of speaking with Maduro directly, Trump acknowledged he would likely do so, stating, “Yes, I’ll probably talk to him. Yes, I’ve talked to everyone.”
The administration maintains that their actions are part of an ongoing engagement in armed conflict against what they describe as transnational terrorist organizations involved with drug cartels.
