WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has confirmed he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, a revelation first reported by The New York Times and later highlighted by the BBC, sparking outrage from Venezuelan leaders and raising fears of U.S. military escalation in the region.
According to The New York Times, Trump’s authorization would allow the CIA to act unilaterally inside Venezuela or in support of broader U.S. military action. The BBC reported that the development has alarmed officials in Caracas, who view the growing U.S. military presence as a potential prelude to an attack. It remains unclear whether the CIA has already carried out operations or whether contingency plans are being prepared. The agency has a long history of involvement in South America.
Trump’s admission comes after at least five U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing 27 people. UN-appointed human rights experts have described the raids as “extrajudicial executions.”
Speaking at the White House, Trump signaled further action. “The U.S. is looking at land,” he said, referring to plans to target drug cartels beyond maritime strikes.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — whose legitimacy is widely disputed after contested elections last year — went on state television calling for peace with the United States. However, the BBC reported that officials in Caracas fear a direct attack as the U.S. bolsters its regional presence.
Trump was pressed on the matter during an Oval Office appearance Wednesday with FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“Why did you authorize the CIA to go into Venezuela?” a reporter asked.
“I authorized for two reasons really,” Trump said — an unusually direct acknowledgment from a U.S. president about covert intelligence activities. “Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America. And the other thing are drugs. We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela … we’re going to stop them by land also.”
Experts note Venezuela plays a relatively minor role in the regional drug trade.
Trump declined to say whether the CIA’s objective was to topple Maduro, for whom the U.S. has offered a $50 million reward. “Wouldn’t it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?” he said.
In the most recent U.S. strike on Tuesday, six people were killed when a boat near Venezuela’s coast was targeted. On Truth Social, Trump said “intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known” drug route. As in previous cases, U.S. officials have not named the organisation involved or identified those aboard.
Maduro warned against escalation in a national address.
“No to regime change, which reminds us so much of the endless, failed wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and so on,” he said. “No to CIA-orchestrated coups d’état. Listen to me — no war, yes peace, the people United States.”
Earlier Wednesday, he ordered military exercises in the Caracas suburb of Petare and in neighboring Miranda state. In a message on Telegram, he said he was mobilising the armed forces, police and civilian militias to defend the oil-producing nation.
Foreign Minister Yván Gil also condemned Trump’s remarks, saying Venezuela “rejects the warmongering and extravagant statements of the president of the United States.”
“We view with extreme alarm the use of the CIA, as well as the military deployments announced in the Caribbean, which amount to a policy of aggression, threat, and harassment against Venezuela,” he said.
The Trump administration has deployed eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and fighter jets to the Caribbean, insisting the move targets drug smuggling. In a leaked memo to U.S. lawmakers, the administration said it had determined the U.S. is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug-trafficking organisations.
U.S. officials have accused Maduro of involvement in a trafficking network known as the “Cartel of the Suns,” allegedly comprising senior Venezuelan military and security officials. Maduro has denied the claims.