In a dramatic escalation of U.S. policy toward Venezuela, President Donald Trump has confirmed he authorized the CIA to expand covert operations against the regime of Nicolás Maduro, signaling a new phase in Washington’s long-running effort to oust the embattled Venezuelan leader. The move comes amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group now deployed in the region and American bombers conducting simulated runs near Venezuelan airspace.
According to reporting by The Hill, Trump responded to questions in the Oval Office on November 5, 2025, by acknowledging the CIA’s new mandate. "I authorized for two reasons really, number one they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America, they came in through the border," Trump said, reiterating his administration’s concerns about illegal immigration and narcotics trafficking. "A lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of drugs come in through the sea, but we’re going to stop them by land also."
The president’s comments follow weeks of heightened military activity in the region. The U.S. Navy now counts around 10 percent of its deployed assets in the Southern Command area, which covers Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, according to Foreign Policy. In recent weeks, B-52 and B-1 bombers have flown simulated bombing runs within 20 miles of Venezuelan territory. The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford—the most advanced carrier in the U.S. arsenal—has been described as a potential "crossing the Rubicon" moment, with speculation mounting that missile strikes against Venezuelan targets could be imminent.
Trump’s administration has already launched more than a dozen strikes against suspected drug-laden vessels in the southern Caribbean, actions that officials say have likely shut down known trafficking routes, at least temporarily. "We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control," Trump remarked in mid-October, as quoted by Foreign Policy. These actions, initially framed as part of a counternarcotics mission, have evolved into a broader campaign targeting the Maduro regime’s nexus of state and criminal enterprises.
In late October, major news outlets reported that President Trump had reviewed a target list for potential missile strikes in Venezuela. While the president has expressed skepticism about a full-scale war, he was unequivocal when asked about Maduro’s future. "Yes," Trump replied when questioned whether Maduro’s days were numbered.
The administration’s evolving strategy centers on the concept of "regime collapse" rather than a traditional ground invasion. This approach would see the U.S. employ precision strikes against the regime’s core infrastructure—military sites, political elites, and facilities linked to illicit activities—without deploying ground troops. The goal, as outlined by Foreign Policy, is to catalyze internal movement within Venezuela’s power structure and force Maduro from office, all while minimizing risk to U.S. personnel and avoiding the pitfalls of an Iraq-style occupation.
Trump’s strategy has garnered support among segments of the Venezuelan opposition, who have seen years of diplomatic pressure, sanctions, and international investigations fail to dislodge Maduro. Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader María Corina Machado told Foreign Policy, "We’ve had thousands of protests, peaceful rallies, demonstrations. We’ve gone through every single institutional means." Her words reflect the opposition’s growing impatience and willingness to endorse more forceful measures.
Yet, the path to regime collapse is fraught with uncertainty. The Venezuelan armed forces, long a pillar of Chavismo and deeply involved in illicit enterprises, are seen as a critical factor in any potential transition. While discontent reportedly simmers within the ranks—driven by eroding command structures and limited opportunities for advancement—the military remains a formidable obstacle. Should U.S. strikes target key military sites, including air defense systems and drug trafficking hubs, the calculus for Venezuela’s generals could shift rapidly.
One scenario outlined by Foreign Policy envisions the armed forces forcing Maduro into exile or capturing him for the $50 million bounty offered by the U.S. government. In such a case, the military might install President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, who is widely recognized as the legitimate winner of the 2024 presidential election, and attempt to guide the country through a perilous transition.
Trump’s recent presidential finding authorizes the CIA to pursue more robust covert operations in Venezuela, expanding beyond traditional intelligence gathering to include cyber operations and information warfare. Under CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the agency is reportedly empowered to block financial payments to the Venezuelan military and sow discord within the regime’s ranks. There is even talk of reactivating the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay to house high-level prisoners from the Maduro regime, underscoring the seriousness of Washington’s intent.
Not everyone in Washington is on board with the administration’s aggressive posture. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned, "The Trump Administration’s authorization of covert C.I.A. action, conducting lethal strikes on boats and hinting at land operations in Venezuela slides the United States closer to outright conflict with no transparency, oversight or apparent guardrails." She added, "The American people deserve to know if the Administration is leading the U.S. into another conflict, putting servicemembers at risk or pursuing a regime-change operation." Her comments, reported by The Hill, reflect growing unease among Democrats and some Republicans about the risks of mission creep and the potential for an open-ended conflict.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, has increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest or conviction, reinforcing the administration’s determination to bring the Venezuelan leader to justice. Maduro, for his part, has reportedly offered Trump deals involving his voluntary departure in 2028 and preferential access for U.S. companies to Venezuela’s natural resources—offers that Trump has publicly acknowledged and rejected.
The stakes could hardly be higher. Venezuela’s military, battered by years of internal purges and foreign influence, has never faced the prospect of direct U.S. military action. Should the Trump administration proceed with strikes, the first targets would likely be military sites equipped with Russian air defense systems—a move that would test the unity and resolve of the armed forces and could tip the balance toward a decisive break from Maduro.
For now, the U.S. strategy appears to hinge on maintaining maximum pressure while avoiding the commitment of ground troops—a formula designed to appeal to war-weary American voters and wary Latin American neighbors alike. Whether this unprecedented campaign of covert operations, precision strikes, and psychological pressure will finally succeed where years of diplomacy have failed remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the United States has never brought this level of force and focus to bear on Venezuela’s crisis.
As the USS Gerald R. Ford looms in the Caribbean and the CIA’s covert campaign intensifies, the world watches to see whether the latest American gambit will finally spell the end for Nicolás Maduro’s regime—or plunge the hemisphere into a new era of uncertainty.
