Trump Confirms CIA Operations in Venezuela

President Donald Trump recently acknowledged that he sanctioned covert CIA activities in Venezuela, although he did not delve into specifics regarding the operations’ extent.

Trump highlighted two main reasons for this authorization: first, Venezuela’s alleged practice of releasing prisoners, including gang members, into the U.S., which has raised concerns about border security. Second, he noted Venezuela’s significant involvement in drug trafficking, particularly with fentanyl and other narcotics entering the U.S. via sea routes.

At a White House press briefing, when asked about reports claiming he authorized CIA actions in Venezuela, Trump confirmed that operations were indeed taking place there.

“I authorized for two reasons, really,” Trump stated. “Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America.”

“And the other thing, the drugs. We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea. So, you get to see that, but we’re going to stop them by land also,” he added.

Trump noted that the U.S. is contemplating possible strikes on Venezuelan territory following recent actions against drug-trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast.

“We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” he told reporters. “We’ve had a couple of days where there isn’t a boat to be found.”

In light of a New York Times report mentioning a covert CIA operation, Trump expressed confidence about these efforts, emphasizing his administration’s assertive approach toward adversarial regimes.

When asked if he authorized the CIA to “take out” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump responded, “Oh, I don’t want to answer a question like that. That’s a ridiculous question for me to be given.”

“I think Venezuela is feeling heat,” he added. “But I think a lot of other countries are feeling heat, too.”

In turn, Maduro sharply criticized Trump for exacerbating tensions, accusing him of seeking to justify regime change to seize Venezuela’s oil resources.

“No to regime change, which reminds us so much of the endless, failed wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and so on,” Maduro stated. “No to CIA-orchestrated coups d’état.”

“Listen to me, no war, yes peace, the people [of the] United States.”

Similarly, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil condemned Trump’s confirmation of CIA operations, labeling it as “warmongering.”

“We view with extreme alarm the use of the CIA, as well as the military deployments announced in the Caribbean, which amount to a policy of aggression, threat, and harassment against Venezuela,” Gil stated.