Trump Authorizes Covert Operation in Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a new pressure strategy against Venezuela, authorizing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations, including lethal ones, in Venezuela, The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 15th.

The approval of the CIA operation is a new measure following the U.S. Navy’s attacks over the past few weeks on small vessels from Venezuela and several South American countries, suspected of being drug trafficking ships, in international waters around Venezuela, resulting in the deaths of 27 people. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Defense is preparing various military options, including strikes inside Venezuela.

Under the newly granted authority, the CIA can now conduct various covert activities in Venezuela and the Caribbean region, and these operations can be carried out independently or in coordination with future military operations, the NYT reported. The U.S. Navy currently has a total of 10 surface vessels, including three guided-missile destroyers, one cruiser, and three amphibious assault ships, one nuclear-powered attack submarine, and 10,000 troops deployed in the Caribbean region. Most of these troops are stationed at nearby bases in Puerto Rico, but some Marine Corps personnel are deployed on the amphibious assault ships.

The NYT reported that the approval of the CIA’s covert operations was in accordance with a document called the “Presidential Finding” under the National Security Act, and several U.S. government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the existence of this document. The NYT reported that such White House documents authorizing CIA covert operations are highly classified, and while some members of Congress are briefed, they are rarely made public. Additionally, the newspaper noted that CIA operations are typically kept secret, but some, like the 2011 operation to eliminate Osama bin Laden, are disclosed later.

After the NYT report, President Trump admitted to reporters that he had approved the CIA’s covert operations, stating, “Since we have complete control over the seas around Venezuela, naturally, we are now looking at the ‘land’ as a target.” The NYT reported that the U.S. strategy toward Venezuela, including the CIA’s covert operations, was spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The two have publicly declared that U.S. foreign operations aim to “remove” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The international community, including the United States, assesses that Maduro actually lost the July 2024 presidential election but seized power through electoral fraud. Secretary Rubio defines Maduro as the “head of an illegitimate regime” and a “drug terrorist.” He views Maduro as a patron of drug cartels within Venezuela, existing in a “symbiotic” relationship with drug organizations. President Trump recently ordered the suspension of diplomatic talks with the Maduro regime. It is reported that he was angered by Maduro’s continued refusal to step down voluntarily and his denial of allegations linking him to drug trafficking groups.

While the CIA has long engaged in security cooperation and intelligence sharing with governments in Latin America, it did not previously have the authority to conduct direct “lethal operations.” However, CIA Director Ratcliffe stated during his confirmation hearing, “I will make the CIA less risk-averse and more aggressive. When the president gives the order, I will go where others cannot and do what no one else can.” The United States has offered a reward of up to 50 million dollars to anyone who provides critical information leading to the arrest of Maduro or his prosecution related to drug trafficking distribution.