In a dramatic escalation of U.S. policy toward Venezuela, President Donald Trump confirmed this week that he has authorized covert CIA operations targeting the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The move, first reported by The New York Times, marks a significant shift from previous American strategies in the region and has sparked a firestorm of controversy both domestically and abroad.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on October 15, 2025, Trump explained the rationale behind his decision. "I authorized for two reasons, really. Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America. They came in through the, well, they came in through the border," Trump said, referencing what he described as a surge in migration from Venezuela. He added, "And the other thing are drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea. So, you get to see that, but we're going to stop them by land also." (CBS News)
Trump declined to provide further details on the CIA's mandate or whether it extended to targeting Maduro personally, calling such questions "ridiculous." However, he made it clear that his administration is exploring further options, including possible land strikes inside Venezuela. "Well, I don't want to tell you exactly, but we are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control," Trump said. (Straight Arrow News)
The White House’s acknowledgment followed reporting that Trump signed a presidential finding—a secret order under U.S. law—empowering the CIA to conduct lethal covert action in Venezuela and the Caribbean. Such a finding cannot be used to retroactively approve actions or to authorize operations that violate the U.S. Constitution, but it does grant the agency significant leeway to influence foreign political or military situations without overt U.S. involvement. (The New York Times)
Since September 2, 2025, the administration has ordered at least five military strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea, which it alleges were smuggling drugs from Venezuela to the United States. The use of lethal military force in these drug interdiction operations is unprecedented, with previous administrations relying on law enforcement rather than military means. According to administration figures, at least 27 people have been killed in the strikes. (CBS News)
On October 14, Trump announced via Truth Social that a U.S. military strike had killed six people aboard a vessel off the coast of Venezuela. He claimed the boat was "transiting along a known designated terrorist organization route" and that intelligence confirmed it was trafficking narcotics. No U.S. forces were harmed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered the strike and released a video of the operation. (CBS News)
The repercussions of these operations have rippled beyond Venezuela’s borders. Police in Trinidad and Tobago are investigating reports that two of their citizens were among those killed in the most recent strike. The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service said it is "aware of the reports" and is conducting inquiries, asking for patience as the situation is clarified. Local residents in Las Cuevas, Trinidad, reported that two Trinidadians were believed to be on the sunken vessel. (CBS News)
The administration has faced mounting criticism from lawmakers in Washington. Members of both major parties have expressed frustration over the lack of transparency regarding the legal basis, intelligence, and targeting behind the strikes. Some Republicans are pressing for more information from the White House, while Democrats argue that the strikes may violate U.S. and international law. Last week, the Senate narrowly failed to pass a war powers resolution that would have required Congressional authorization for further military action, with a 51–48 vote. House Democrats are reportedly planning to pursue a similar measure. (Straight Arrow News)
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and an Air Force veteran, questioned the administration’s focus on Venezuela. "Why Venezuela? We know that there are huge amounts of drugs that come through Mexico and other countries," Kinzinger told CNN. "I’ve never put Venezuela as this leading drug issue in the United States. And so I think that’s curious." He also pointed out that, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2025 threat assessment, Colombia is the primary source of cocaine entering the U.S., while Venezuela is involved in "small-scale" drug trafficking. He added, "It’s not a ton of fentanyl that comes from Venezuela. It’s largely cocaine, that cocaine is usually purchased by Americans. Even though it’s illegal, they choose to do it." (Nexstar Media)
Despite these doubts, Trump has remained steadfast. He argued that the Coast Guard has been ineffective for decades, saying, "Because we've been doing that for 30 years and it has been totally ineffective. They have faster boats. Some of these boats are seriously -- I mean, they're world class speedboats -- but they're not faster than missiles." (CBS News)
The Venezuelan government has condemned the U.S. actions in the strongest terms. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry called Trump’s remarks and the U.S. operations "a policy of aggression, threats and harassment against Venezuela." The ministry said it would raise the issue with the United Nations Security Council and accused the U.S. of seeking to "stigmatize Venezuelan and Latin American migration, feeding a xenophobic and dangerous speeches." President Maduro himself denounced the actions and asked, "How long will CIA coups continue? Latin America doesn’t want them, doesn’t need them and repudiates them. Not war, yes peace." (Straight Arrow News)
These developments come amid a significant regional military buildup, with approximately 10,000 U.S. troops and multiple Navy vessels deployed. The Pentagon has reportedly drawn up options for possible strikes inside Venezuela, and the U.S. Justice Department recently doubled its bounty for information leading to Maduro’s capture. The Trump administration’s stated end goal, according to Politico, is to "drive Maduro from power," a characterization Venezuela sees as an attempt to legitimize regime change.
Opposition voices within Venezuela are also weighing in. María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner and a prominent opposition leader, urged Trump to stop Maduro’s "war" on her country in an interview with CNN. However, she stopped short of calling for direct U.S. military intervention to depose Maduro. (Straight Arrow News)
As the situation continues to unfold, the lack of concrete evidence provided by the White House regarding the presence of drugs on the targeted vessels remains a sticking point. Lawmakers and the public alike are demanding greater transparency and accountability as the U.S. edges closer to open conflict with Venezuela. For now, the world watches closely, aware that the consequences of these actions could reverberate far beyond the Caribbean.