"President Donald Trump did not rule out land strikes in Venezuela on Wednesday, a move that comes as his administration has quietly granted the Central Intelligence Agency new powers to conduct covert operations in the South American country. We are certainly looking at land now, because we've got the sea very well under control, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday. We've almost totally stopped it by sea. Now we'll stop it by land."
"The CIA operation marks one of the most aggressive steps yet in his efforts to oust Maduro, whose socialist government U.S. officials have long accused of drug trafficking and corruption. The New York Times first reported the CIA operations on Wednesday. The secret authorization, known as a presidential finding, allows the CIA to carry out lethal operations and a range of covert actions in Venezuela and across the Caribbean."
"The authorization coincides with a broader U.S. military buildup in the region. The Pentagon has deployed more than 4,500 troops, most of them based in Puerto Rico, along with a contingent of Marines aboard amphibious assault ships. The U.S. Navy has positioned eight warships and a submarine in the Caribbean as part of the expanded presence."
President Donald Trump said land strikes in Venezuela are being considered while claiming U.S. forces have largely stopped maritime drug shipments. The administration quietly granted the CIA a presidential finding authorizing lethal and other covert actions in Venezuela and across the Caribbean. It remains unclear whether operations have begun or if the authorization serves as a contingency. The move accompanies a U.S. military buildup that includes more than 4,500 troops (mostly in Puerto Rico), Marines on amphibious assault ships, eight warships and a submarine in the Caribbean. U.S. officials have accused Nicolas Maduro's government of drug trafficking and corruption.
Read at www.miamiherald.com
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