US Secretly Authorizes CIA to Conduct Covert Action in Venezuela

Strategic Insights -

The Trump administration has secretly authorized the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela, stepping up a campaign against Nicolás Maduro, the country's authoritarian leader. This move comes as the US military is drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including possible strikes inside the country. The CIA's new authority would allow the agency to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Trump administration has secretly authorized the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela, with the aim of driving President Maduro from power.
  • The CIA's new authority would allow the agency to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean.
  • The US military is drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including possible strikes inside Venezuela.
  • The US has 10,000 troops in the region, with most of them based in Puerto Rico.
  • The Navy has eight surface warships and a submarine in the Caribbean.
  • The Trump administration's strategy on Venezuela, developed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, aims to oust Mr. Maduro from power.
  • The C.I.A. director, John Ratcliffe, has promised to make the agency more aggressive.
  • The US has offered $50 million for information leading to Mr. Maduro's arrest and conviction on U.S. drug trafficking charges.
  • Mr. Maduro blocked the government that was democratically elected last year from taking power, and the Trump administration describes him as a "narcoterrorist."
  • The Trump administration's accusations that he has profited from the narcotics trade and that his country is a major producer of drugs for the United States have been debated.
  • The C.I.A. has been stepping up its work on counternarcotics for years, including flying drones over Mexico and hunting for fentanyl labs.

Statistics:

  • 50 million: The amount the US has offered for information leading to Mr. Maduro's arrest and conviction on U.S. drug trafficking charges.
  • 10,000: The number of US troops in the region, most of them based in Puerto Rico.
  • 8: The number of surface warships the Navy has in the Caribbean.
  • 1: The number of submarine the Navy has in the Caribbean.

Sources:

  • Julian E. Barnes and Tyler Pager, The New York Times
  • U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity
  • The Trump administration
  • Venezuelan government
  • U.N. Security Council
  • The New York Times, citing an intelligence community assessment in February
  • The C.I.A., citing a presidential finding
  • The Biden administration, citing a directive from the National Intelligence Council