Trump Confirms CIA Operations in Venezuela Amid Rising Tensions

Thu Oct 16 2025 06:35:29 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

President Donald Trump has confirmed the authorization of CIA covert actions inside Venezuela, emphasizing the need to combat drug trafficking and intensify pressure on Nicolás Maduro's regime.

In a significant development, President Trump has acknowledged that he authorized the CIA to conduct operations in Venezuela to combat drug cartels and handle the influx of criminal elements. This announcement follows a series of military strikes in the region and underscores tensions with the Maduro government, which has reacted defiantly to the U.S. military's growing presence.

President Donald Trump has confirmed reports he authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela - and said he was considering strikes targeting drug cartels there.

US forces have already conducted at least five strikes on suspected drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing 27 people. UN-appointed human rights experts have described the raids as 'extrajudicial executions'.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said the US 'is looking at land' as it considers further strikes in the region.

Trump has sought to increase pressure on President Nicolas Maduro, who the US and others do not recognise as Venezuela's rightful leader following disputed elections.

The increased US military presence in the region has raised fears in Caracas of a possible attack.

According to the New York Times, Trump's authorisation would allow the CIA to carry out operations in Venezuela unilaterally or as part of any wider US military activity.

It remains unknown whether the CIA is planning operations in Venezuela, or whether those plans are being kept as contingencies.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump was questioned about the New York Times report.

Trump provided two main reasons for the CIA's operations: the influx of criminals into the US and drug trafficking. He stated, 'We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea.'

While Maduro's government has not directly commented on the CIA authorisation, Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez struck a defiant tone on television, asserting that the Venezuelan people are prepared to defend against any aggression.

In the most recent US strike, six individuals died when a boat was targeted near the Venezuelan coast, part of a larger military effort aimed at pressuring Maduro's government amid allegations of drug trafficking to the US.

Maduro has repeatedly denied US claims, maintaining that his government is the victim of aggression aimed at destabilizing the nation.