Trump Confirms CIA Covert Authority on Venezuela as U.S. Weighs Strikes on Land

Overview

• Trump said U.S. forces destroyed another small boat off Venezuela, killing six, bringing reported fatalities to 27 across five strikes since September.
• He confirmed authorizing the CIA to run secret operations in Venezuela, after a New York Times report said the mandate could include lethal action against Maduro’s circle.
• Trump said he is considering operations on land against cartels, a step legal experts and rights groups warn could breach international law.
• The U.S. has massed eight surface warships, a submarine and roughly 10,000 troops in the Caribbean, with thousands of Marines embarked on amphibious ships.
• Caracas ordered drills, militia call-ups and civilian weapons training, denounced “CIA coups” and appealed to the U.N., as U.S. lawmakers in both parties press for legal justification.