Trump says he authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela

"Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in his administration's pressure campaign against Nicolas Maduro's regime. Trump further suggested he was considering strikes on Venezuelan territory, a dramatic step that would go beyond a series of recent lethal attacks on boats in the Caribbean, which Democrats and United Nations experts have forcefully condemned as unlawful."

"The president's remarks about the CIA confirmed an earlier story from the New York Times, which had reported on a classified directive about the secretive operation in Venezuela. Trump said his administration was looking at land as it considers continued strikes in the region, but declined to answer when pressed on whether the CIA had the authority to execute Maduro. I think Venezuela is feeling heat, the president added."

"Trump justified the CIA's intervention by repeating his claims that Venezuela had been releasing prisoners into the US, including individuals from mental health facilities echoing baseless assertions that became one of his common refrains on the campaign trail last year. He also claimed that Venezuela was bringing large volumes of drugs into the US by sea. Experts have repeatedly cast doubts on some of the president's claims about the threats Venezuelans pose in the US."

Donald Trump authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, escalating pressure on Nicolas Maduro's regime. He suggested consideration of strikes on Venezuelan territory and said the administration was looking at land options while declining to confirm whether the CIA could execute Maduro. He justified intervention by claiming Venezuela had been releasing prisoners into the US, including individuals from mental health facilities, and by alleging large volumes of drugs were being brought into the US by sea. Experts have cast doubt on several of those claims. The administration declared drug cartels unlawful combatants to justify military action, prompting bipartisan congressional anger and criticism from Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

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