President Donald Trump on Wednesday openly acknowledged that he had authorized covert U.S. intelligence operations inside Venezuela — a rare public admission about a secretive mission. Speaking during a White House press briefing, Trump said the decision was part of his administration’s ongoing war against international drug cartels and efforts to stop criminal activity he claims is linked to the South American country.
When asked directly about reports that he approved a clandestine CIA operation targeting Venezuela, Trump confirmed them. “I authorized for two reasons, really,” he said. “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.”
While the president did not disclose specific details of the operation, he declined to answer when pressed on whether the agency had permission to “take out” Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. According to NBC News, Trump said such questions were “classified” but maintained that “strong measures” were underway to protect the United States.
The remarks mark one of the few times a sitting U.S. president has publicly confirmed covert action by the Central Intelligence Agency. Traditionally, such operations remain unacknowledged by the government to preserve secrecy and diplomatic deniability.
Trump’s comments come just weeks after he directed the Department of War to treat major drug cartels as enemy combatants — effectively declaring an “armed conflict” against transnational criminal organizations. That policy shift has already led to air and sea operations targeting what the administration calls “narco-trafficking assets” in the Caribbean and along South America’s northern coast.
The president suggested that U.S. naval strikes on suspected drug vessels had been successful, claiming a sharp decline in illegal maritime traffic. “We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” Trump said. “We’ve had a couple of days where there isn’t a boat to be found.”
Trump added that those efforts had saved “countless American lives,” asserting that the interdictions prevented narcotics like fentanyl and cocaine from reaching U.S. shores.
If approved, land-based operations in Venezuela would represent a major escalation in the administration’s anti-drug campaign and could heighten tensions with Caracas. The Maduro government has long accused Washington of attempting to destabilize Venezuela’s leadership, while U.S. officials have accused Maduro’s regime of facilitating drug trafficking and organized crime.
