United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed he has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and said his administration is considering land-based military action, amid spiralling tensions with Caracas following recent lethal U.S. strikes on suspected Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean. 

The disclosure followed questions at a White House news conference referencing an earlier report about the authorization. 

Trump cited two reasons for the move—claims that Venezuela had “emptied their prisons” into the United States and concerns over drug trafficking—adding that while narcotics often arrive by sea, Washington aims to block them “by land also.” He declined to say whether the CIA had authority to target President Nicolás Maduro. 

Venezuela condemned the remarks and the covert directive as violations of international law and the UN Charter, accusing Washington of seeking regime change to gain control of the country’s resources. Maduro, speaking at a televised session of the National Council for Sovereignty and Peace, denounced past CIA roles in global conflicts and warned against attempts at “regime change.” 

The announcement comes after a series of U.S. attacks on small boats the Pentagon says were linked to drug trafficking from Venezuela; at least 27 people have been reported killed in recent incidents, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers and rights groups over legality and oversight. 

Asked whether he sought to enforce regime change in Caracas, Trump demurred—calling it a “ridiculous question” to answer—while adding that he believed “Venezuela’s feeling heat.” 

Source: Al Jazeera 

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