The CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, USA. Photo: Library of Congress. This article has been edited with additional information.
Guacamaya, October 15, 2025. US President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to act covertly inside Venezuela, claiming it would be to stop the flow of drugs and immigrants to the United States.
The president’s statement came shortly after The New York Times published this information following a leak.
Trump dismissed a journalist who asked if the CIA had the authority to eliminate Maduro. “Wouldn’t that be a ridiculous question for me to answer? But I think Venezuela is feeling the pressure.”
The backdrop to this action is the Pentagon’s naval and air deployment in the Caribbean. On the same day, at least two B-52 bombers conducted a show of force by entering the Maiquetía Flight Information Region (FIR).
The US armed forces deployed in the region have already attacked and destroyed at least five vessels accused of being part of drug trafficking. One is said to be of Colombian origin and crew, which could increase friction with Bogotá in addition to Caracas.
Paradoxically, Nicolás Maduro’s government is accepting repatriations of Venezuelan migrants, who are said to number over 10,000; meanwhile, Venezuela does not appear as a relevant country in drug trafficking to the United States.
Trump has also alleged that the Venezuelan government controls the Tren de Aragua, which he would have used to “invade” the United States with criminals and even “mental health asylum” patients.
In February, an assessment by the intelligence community —including the CIA, the NSA, and other agencies— contradicted Trump’s claim that Maduro controls the Tren de Aragua. When the White House requested a reassessment, the initial conclusion was reaffirmed by the National Intelligence Council. Shortly thereafter, the council’s acting director, Michael Collins, was fired.
The official narrative from the White House remains ambiguous, probably on purpose. It is not clear whether the goal is to pressure Maduro to leave power, or to change his behavior, for example, by stopping sending drugs and criminals to the United States.
Trump’s authorization would allow the CIA to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and throughout the Caribbean, according to the New York Times report. It is unknown whether the agency is planning any specific operations in Venezuela.
The CIA has a long history of covert operations in Latin America and the world. However, it is strange that it is being announced to the public without having first achieved a milestone in its mission. Rather, it could be another measure to intimidate the Venezuelan government and armed forces.
What did the CIA do during the first Trump Administration?
During Donald Trump’s first administration, it was also reported that the CIA had participated in efforts to topple Maduro’s government, forming a Venezuela Task Force.
However, former National Security Advisor John Bolton would later complain that the agency did not help enough, that it was always “deeply reluctant but nonetheless compelled to follow White House orders.”
The CIA’s greatest success at the time, according to comments gathered in a WIRED article, was a cyberattack against the state-run payroll system used to compensate members of the Venezuelan armed forces. However, each official had a different version of the events, casting doubt on the nature of the operation.
Bolton also lamented the CIA’s “democracy promotion” efforts, which appeared indistinguishable from initiatives openly carried out by other government agencies, such as USAID.
