Trump Authorizes Covert CIA Ops in Venezuela, “Does Not Rule Out” Ground Troops

President Donald Trump has reportedly signed a secret directive authorizing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, significantly escalating the U.S. campaign to oust President Nicolás Maduro. The move, confirmed by intelligence sources briefed on the matter, lays the groundwork for potential sabotage, cyber warfare, and psychological operations intended to fracture the Venezuelan military’s loyalty to the regime.
This clandestine escalation runs parallel to a stunning public admission by the President regarding direct military intervention. When asked by reporters on Monday if he would consider deploying U.S. ground troops to Venezuela, President Trump replied, “I don’t rule out anything. We just have to take care of Venezuela.”
The authorization follows the collapse of sensitive backchannel negotiations between Washington and Caracas. Diplomatic sources reveal that during these secret talks, Maduro’s representatives floated a proposal in which the Venezuelan leader would voluntarily step down—but only after a “transition period” of two to three years. The White House reportedly rejected the offer as a “non-starter,” demanding an immediate exit.
Tensions have now reached a boiling point with the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group in the Caribbean. The deployment, dubbed “Operation Southern Spear,” represents the largest projection of U.S. naval power in the region in decades. Officially tasked with counter-narcotics missions, the armada places U.S. strike capabilities within easy reach of Caracas.
Adding to the pressure, the Trump administration has formally designated the “Cartel de los Soles”—a drug trafficking organization U.S. officials allege is led by Maduro himself—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. This legal designation provides the White House with broader authorities to target the regime’s inner circle, potentially justifying lethal strikes similar to those used against terrorist groups in the Middle East.
“We are dealing with a narco-terrorist state that is flooding our country with drugs,” Trump stated, linking the Venezuelan crisis directly to U.S. homeland security. With the CIA now active on the ground and a carrier strike group offshore, the administration appears to be moving from economic sanctions to active “hybrid warfare” measures.