President Donald Trump confirmed he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations targeting Nicolás Maduro’s government in Venezuela. He said the administration is “looking at land” for further action.
His acknowledgment followed reporting from The New York Times that the administration approved a presidential finding empowering the agency to take lethal covert action in Venezuela and the Caribbean.
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Any strike on Venezuelan territory would mark a significant escalation toward a potential war with the South American country.
Maduro denounced Trump’s remarks, and his government said it would raise the issue at the United Nations Security Council.
“How long will CIA coups continue?” Maduro said. “Latin America doesn’t want them, doesn’t need them and repudiates them. Not war, yes peace.”
The Times reported the Pentagon has drawn up options for possible strikes inside the country. The comment comes amid a regional buildup that includes roughly 10,000 U.S. troops and multiple Navy vessels.
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“Covert action” is distinct from routine intelligence collection. It seeks to influence political, economic or military conditions without acknowledging a U.S. role.
Legal authority and scope
A presidential finding, established by U.S. law, is a secret authorization that allows the CIA to conduct covert operations — separate from traditional intelligence-gathering — to influence another country’s internal political or military situation.
A finding cannot be used to retroactively approve an operation that has already taken place or be used to authorize actions that violate the U.S. Constitution.
According to the Times, the new finding in this case would allow the CIA to conduct lethal operations in Venezuela and could be paired with broader military action.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump cited two reasons for the CIA authorization. He claimed, without providing evidence, that Venezuela has “emptied their prisons into the United States.” He added that “a lot of drugs” arrive by sea from Venezuela.
Trump declined to say whether the authority extends to Maduro personally.
In an interview on Wednesday with CNN, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado — winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize — urged Trump to stop Maduro’s “war” on her country. She stopped short of calling for direct U.S. military intervention to depose Maduro.
Recent U.S. strikes have killed at least 27 people and sunk at least five boats alleged to be smuggling drugs from Venezuela.
The administration previously notified Congress that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels it considers “nonstate armed groups.” NBC News reported that Venezuela is not considered a source for fentanyl, which is mainly smuggled over land from Mexico.
Congress and potential authorization
Lawmakers in both parties say the administration has not provided basic details about the intelligence, legal basis and targeting behind the strikes. Members have requested unedited strike video, names of those killed and evidence the boats carried drugs. The administration has not provided the raw footage.
A Senate measure to require congressional approval for additional attacks failed 51–48. Two Republicans voted yes and one Democrat voted no. House Democrats plan to pursue a companion measure.
Regime change
U.S. officials have been clear that the end goal is to drive Maduro from power, Politico reported — a characterization Venezuela framed as an attempt to “legitimize regime change.”
Trump said the United States is considering next steps, while members of Congress continue to seek briefings and documentation. Some lawmakers warn that expanding operations onto Venezuelan soil could raise civilian risk and oversight concerns.
