Trump Authorizes Covert CIA Operations in Venezuela
October 16th, 2025Via: CBC:
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in U.S. efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
The New York Times first reported the classified directive, citing U.S. officials familiar with the decision, saying the Trump administration’s Venezuela strategy aims to remove Maduro from power. The administration has offered $50 million US for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and conviction on drug trafficking charges.
Trump said he authorized the action because large amounts of drugs were entering the United States from Venezuela, much of it trafficked by sea.
“We are looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” Trump said.
LOL, making America great again…
The CIA is simply eliminating their competition.
“[W]hile Venezuela is a transit route for an estimated 10-13% of global cocaine (per US agencies), it provides none of the fentanyl that accounts for 70% of US drug deaths. […] If the US is not bombing Venezuelan boats to stop drugs, then why is it doing so? One factor is Rubio’s attempt to assert himself vis-à-vis other members of Trump’s inner circle. The Secretary of State’s obsession with removing Maduro can be traced to his background in South Florida politics, and the crucial role hard-right anti-communist Venezuelan and Cuban exiles have played there for decades. There are other significant figures within Trump’s inner circle who share his position, including CIA director John Ratcliffe and Stephen Miller. As Greg Grandin notes, Rubio’s hawkish stance towards Venezuela contrasts with that of Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell, who has advocated striking deals with Maduro.”
https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/murder-in-the-caribbean