In a stunning escalation of U.S. pressure on Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, including potentially lethal actions targeting the regime’s narco-terror networks. The revelation, first reported by The New York Times, marks a dramatic shift from diplomatic overtures to shadowy warfare, as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign to topple Maduro’s crumbling socialist dictatorship.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump did not mince words. “I authorized it for two reasons,” he declared, citing Venezuela’s alleged role in flooding the U.S. with drugs via maritime routes and “emptying their prisons into the United States of America.” When pressed on whether the CIA had greenlit to “take out” Maduro himself, Trump dismissed the question as “ridiculous,” but added that the military is “looking at land” strikes inside Venezuela to curb the flow of narcotics and migrants.
The secret presidential finding, issued in recent weeks, expands the CIA’s mandate beyond traditional intelligence sharing with Latin American allies. For the first time, agency operatives are empowered to execute unilateral lethal operations in Venezuela and the broader Caribbean, a move U.S. officials privately describe as a tool to “drive Mr. Maduro from power.” This comes atop a surge in U.S. naval interdictions: Since early September, American warships have sunk at least five suspected drug vessels off Venezuela’s coast, killing 27 alleged traffickers in strikes Trump has branded as assaults on “narcoterrorists.” The latest, on October 14, targeted a boat linked to a designated terrorist organization, with footage shared by Trump on Truth Social showing the fiery aftermath.
From Sanctions to Shadows: The Road to Authorization
The decision caps months of frustration in the White House. Trump halted backchannel talks mediated by envoy Richard Grenell in early October, rebuffing Maduro’s offers of oil deals and concessions to China and Russia. Labeling Maduro’s inner circle—including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Vice President Diosdado Cabello—as the “Cartel of the Suns,” the administration has slapped $50 million bounties on their heads and designated the group a foreign terrorist organization.
Pentagon planners, meanwhile, are briefing Trump on “escalation options,” including drone strikes and special forces raids deep into Venezuelan territory—moves that could ignite a broader conflict. Over 10,000 U.S. troops are now forward-deployed in Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago, with the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group steaming toward the region. Analysts peg the odds of a direct U.S.-Venezuela clash by December at 49%, per betting markets and intelligence assessments.
On X, reactions exploded in real time. “Release the hounds!” cheered one user, capturing the hawkish fervor among Trump supporters, while critics decried it as a “Vietnam 2.0” redux. Opposition firebrand María Corina Machado, fresh off her Nobel Peace Prize win, hailed the move from exile: “This is the strength Venezuela needs to shatter the chains of tyranny.”
Maduro’s Defiance: “Yankee Imperialism Will Fail”
From Caracas, Maduro lashed out in a fiery address, accusing Trump of “plotting a pirate invasion to steal our sacred oil.” Venezuelan state media aired footage of military drills, with militias parading through the streets amid reports of elite defections to Colombia. Allies like Russia and China issued tepid condemnations, but insiders say Moscow is pulling back amid its own quagmires, leaving Maduro increasingly isolated.
Human rights groups and Democrats in Congress raised alarms. “This revives the darkest chapters of CIA meddling in Latin America—Bay of Pigs on steroids,” warned Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, demanding briefings under the War Powers Resolution. Legal experts question the operations’ compliance with international law, absent Venezuelan consent or UN backing.
Global Ripples: Oil Spikes, Allies Waver
Markets reacted swiftly: Brent crude jumped 3% to $82 a barrel on fears of disrupted Venezuelan exports, which could tighten global supplies. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, once a Maduro sympathizer, urged restraint, while Brazil’s Lula da Silva stayed mum—signaling cracks in the leftist Foro de São Paulo bloc.
For Venezuelans, the stakes couldn’t be higher. With 8 million refugees abroad and hyperinflation ravaging what’s left, Machado’s allies predict Maduro’s fall could come “within weeks” if U.S. actions spark military mutinies. As one X post put it: “The end is near for the narco-regime.”
Trump’s gamble is clear: Weaponize the CIA to decapitate Maduro’s cartel-state before it metastasizes further into U.S. borders. Whether it liberates Caracas or lights a powder keg remains the trillion-dollar question. The world holds its breath.
