‘Down And Dirty’: US President Trump Confirms CIA’s Covert Operation In Venezuela; A Regime Change Attempt? | World News

In a rare admission, United States President Donald Trump confirmed that the CIA carried out a covert operation in Venezuela. This came just days after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado. It was noteworthy that Machado called Trump immediately after receiving the award and gave him information about political developments.

While Trump added that the US is targeting drug cartels here, many fear this is nothing more than a regime change operation that will benefit Machado. It is noteworthy that, after the controversial elections, the United States does not recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as the true leader of the country. According to reports, Trump cited two reasons for the action: the flow of drugs from the South American country to the US and the criminal occupation.

“I allowed this for two reasons… First, Venezuela emptied its prisons and mental hospitals into the United States. They came across the border because of our open border policy. Thousands of prisoners and mentally ill people entered the country, we are sending them back. Many countries have done this, but not like Venezuela. They were miserable and dirty,” Trump said.

He also said the second reason was the ‘drug flow’ into the US.

However, the US President did not confirm whether the CIA had permission to ‘eliminate’ Venezuelan President Maduro. “I think Venezuela is feeling nervous… We’re not going to let our country be destroyed just because others want to give up on their worst situations… we’re not going to accept them,” he said.

Since early September, US military forces have destroyed five boats suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean. It was stated that four of the ships were bound for Venezuela and 27 people lost their lives during the operations.

According to the new directive approved by Trump, the CIA will be allowed to conduct missions in Venezuela alone or in coordination with US military activities in the region.

It is not yet clear whether the agency has concrete plans for such operations or whether they remain a backup option.

Despite Venezuela’s relatively minor role in the regional narcotics trade, speculation continues as to whether the CIA’s ultimate goal will include deposing President Nicolás Maduro, who remains the target of a $50 million (£37 million) bounty from the US.

Earlier this month, the administration classified major drug cartels as “unlawful combatants” and announced that the United States was now engaged in “armed conflict” with them. Authorities described the move as a necessary step to curb drug trafficking.

However, the announcement sparked criticism from both parties in Congress; Lawmakers accused Trump of overstepping his authority and committing an “act of war” without Congressional approval.