Trump Authorises Covert CIA Action In Venezuela, Raises Pressure On President Maduro

Last Updated:October 16, 2025, 07:41 IST

Trump confirmed action against Venezuela during an event in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump | Image: File

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that he has authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, marking rise in US efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.

The US military in recent weeks carried out a series of deadly strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. Additionally, the US forces destroyed at least five boats since early September, killing 27 people, and four of those vessels originated from Venezuela.

Trump confirmed action against Venezuela during an event in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

“I authorised for two reasons, really," Trump replied. “No. 1, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America," he said. “And the other thing, the drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea."

Trump mentioned that the administration is “looking at land" as it considers additional strikes in the region, but he did not disclose whether the CIA has the authority to act against President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump’s unusual admission of a CIA operation followed a New York Times report stating that the CIA had been authorized for covert action in Venezuela.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration labeled drug cartels as unlawful combatants, declaring the United States is now in an “armed conflict" with them. This action was justified as a necessary step to curb the drug flow into the US.

This move has sparked anger in Congress from both major political parties, with concerns that Trump was effectively committing an act of war without seeking congressional approval.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed support for cracking down on trafficking but argued that the administration has overstepped.

“The Trump administration’s authorisation of covert CIA action, conducting lethal strikes on boats and hinting at land operations in Venezuela brings the United States closer to outright conflict without transparency, oversight, or apparent safeguards," Shaheen said. “The American people deserve to know if the administration is leading the US into another conflict, putting service members at risk, or pursuing a regime-change operation." According to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter, the Trump administration has yet to provide evidence to lawmakers proving that the boats targeted by the US military were carrying narcotics.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the administration has only shown unclassified video clips of the strikes posted on social media by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, without offering “hard evidence" that the vessels contained drugs.

Lawmakers have expressed frustration over the administration’s lack of detail on how it determined the US is in armed conflict with cartels or which criminal organizations it considers “unlawful combatants."

While the US military has conducted strikes on some vessels, the U.S. Coast Guard continues its usual practice of stopping boats and seizing drugs.

Trump defended the actions on Wednesday, saying traditional methods have failed.

(With agency inputs)

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