{"id":80824,"date":"2025-10-16T13:27:46","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T10:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/?p=80824"},"modified":"2025-10-16T13:27:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T10:27:46","slug":"trump-authorizes-cia-operate-venezuela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/trump-authorizes-cia-operate-venezuela\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Authorizes CIA to Operate Inside Venezuela"},"content":{"rendered":"

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump revealed that the CIA\u2019s expanded mission in Venezuela is part of a broader strategy to fight Latin American drug cartels. The move follows a series of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean that reportedly targeted boats suspected of drug smuggling. Although Trump stopped short of saying he aims to oust President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro, his remarks fueled speculation that Washington is tightening pressure on the Venezuelan regime.<\/p>\n

Trump: Venezuela is feeling the heat<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Trump<\/a> tied the CIA authorization to his administration\u2019s ongoing efforts to disrupt drug flows into the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, mostly by sea, but we\u2019re going to stop them by land too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The president claimed that Venezuela\u2019s leaders are \u201cfeeling the heat,\u201d adding that the U.S. will not allow its borders to be exploited.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to let our country be ruined because others want to dump their worst on us,\u201d Trump said, repeating his earlier claims about criminal migration.<\/p>\n

U.S. military strikes escalate regional tensions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Trump\u2019s comments came one day after the U.S. military confirmed a strike on a boat allegedly trafficking drugs off Venezuela\u2019s coast, killing six people aboard. It was at least the fifth such operation in recent months.<\/p>\n

Maduro\u2019s government condemned the attacks as \u201caggressive provocations\u201d and is reportedly preparing to declare a state of emergency in case of further U.S. actions.<\/p>\n

While the White House has not provided public evidence that the targeted vessels were smuggling narcotics, officials cite a classified legal opinion authorizing lethal strikes against an expanded list of cartels and traffickers.<\/p>\n

Congress questions legality of CIA operations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Trump\u2019s decision triggered heated debate in Congress.<\/p>\n

Democratic Senator Peter Welch criticized the move, saying, \u201cThe president is making lethal decisions without oversight or accountability. That\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Republican Senator Rand Paul echoed similar concerns, while Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, defended Trump, saying he was \u201cdoing exactly what he should be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venezuelan opposition leader urges U.S. support<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Opposition figure Mar\u00eda Corina Machado, who recently won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, urged Washington to intensify its stance against Maduro.<\/p>\n

In an interview with CNN, Machado described the Venezuelan regime as \u201ca criminal narco-terrorist structure\u201d and appealed to Trump for \u201cgreater international help to liberate Venezuela.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expanding U.S. operations across Latin America<\/strong><\/h4>\n

According to Pentagon sources, some of the recent U.S. airstrikes in the Caribbean also targeted Colombian nationals aboard a vessel that had departed from Colombia. The disclosure suggests that Washington\u2019s campaign against drug trafficking extends well beyond Venezuela\u2019s borders, signaling a new phase in the U.S. government\u2019s regional strategy.
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