Trump CIA Venezuela: Trump confirms CIA running covert operations in Venezuela – what’s really happening?
Trump Admits CIA Is Active in Venezuela
The confession came after US forces destroyed at least five boats allegedly smuggling drugs in the Caribbean since early September; Four of them reportedly came from Venezuela, according to the report. At least 27 people died in the attacks, including six in the most recent incident.
Trump Explains Why He Approved CIA Operations in Venezuela
When asked at an Oval Office event on Wednesday why he gave the CIA the green light to operate in Venezuela, Trump gave two reasons. “I actually authorized it for two reasons. One, they evacuated their prisons to the United States,” he said, according to ABC News. Trump added: “And the other thing, drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming from Venezuela, and most of the Venezuelan drugs come by sea, as reported in the report.”
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Possible Expansion in Land Operations
He even stated that the administration was “also looking at land” as it considered further military operations in the region. But he declined to clarify whether the CIA had the authority to directly target Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, ABC News reported.
Nicolás Maduro Responds to Trump’s Comments
In response, Maduro condemned the move, criticizing the CIA’s record in global conflicts without directly referencing Trump’s remarks. “How long will the CIA continue its coups?” he said. “Latin America doesn’t want them, doesn’t need them and rejects them,” he says, as quoted in the report.
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A Strong Statement from the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Venezuela’s foreign ministry also issued a strong statement rejecting what it described as Trump’s “combative and exaggerated statements” and called the authorization “operations intended to act against the peace and stability of Venezuela,” ABC News reported.
US Declares Drug Cartels as Illegal Combatants
Earlier this month, the Trump administration declared that drug cartels were “unlawful combatants” and effectively brought the United States into “armed conflict” with them, according to the report. Authorities argued that the escalation was necessary to stop the flow of drugs into the United States, ABC News reported.
Criticism from US lawmakers
But the president’s decision sparked bipartisan reaction in Congress. Lawmakers from both parties say the move moves the United States closer to conflict without congressional approval or transparency, ABC News reports.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen criticized the administration’s actions, saying, “The Trump administration’s authorization of covert CIA action, deadly attacks on boats, and insinuation of ground operations in Venezuela moves the United States closer to direct conflict with no transparency, oversight, or visible guardrails,” ABC News reported.
FAQ
What did Trump confirm about the CIA in Venezuela?
Trump confirmed that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.
Why did Trump allow CIA intervention?
He cited the release of Venezuelan prisons to the United States and drug trafficking in the Caribbean as reasons.
