WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out secret operations targeting drug cartels in Venezuela. The president claimed that large quantities of narcotics are entering the United States through Venezuela but provided no evidence to support the assertion.
“I think Venezuela is starting to feel the heat,” Trump said, when asked about the operations. He declined to confirm whether the CIA had been given permission to carry out an assassination attempt on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump also suggested that U.S. actions could expand beyond maritime operations. “We are certainly looking at land now that we have the sea under control,” the president stated.
27 Killed in U.S. Airstrikes
In recent weeks, U.S. airstrikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea have killed 27 people. On Tuesday, six individuals were reported dead in an attack off the Venezuelan coast. Trump referred to the victims as “narcoterrorists,” but again presented no evidence.
The operations have drawn international criticism, as they take place in international waters and target individuals who have not been arrested or questioned. The U.S. has designated several drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” a classification it uses to justify the use of lethal force.
However, U.S. officials have not specified which cartels owned the targeted vessels, nor have they confirmed whether the people killed were in fact cartel members.
Growing Confrontation with Maduro
The reported expansion of CIA authority marks a significant escalation in the standoff between Washington and Caracas. Trump has repeatedly accused the Maduro government of complicity in drug trafficking, while Maduro has denied the allegations and vowed to resist what he calls U.S. “aggression.”
In recent weeks, the U.S. has significantly increased its military presence in the region, deploying additional naval assets and stationing ten F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico—raising fears of further confrontation in the Caribbean.
