Trump Confirms CIA Operations in Venezuela, Considers Land Strikes

President Donald Trump has confirmed authorizing CIA operations in Venezuela, citing concerns over the influx of migrants and drugs into the United States.

"I authorized for two reasons, really. Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America. They came in through the, well, they came in through the border," Trump stated during a press briefing.

He further elaborated on the drug trafficking issue:

"And the other thing are drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea. So, you get to see that, but we're going to stop them by land also."

When questioned about the possibility of targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump dismissed the inquiry as "ridiculous" but noted that Venezuela is "feeling heat."

The administration has recently intensified military actions in the Caribbean, including a series of strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking. Since early September, these operations have resulted in multiple casualties.

Legal experts have raised concerns about the justification and legality of these strikes, emphasizing the absence of declared war and the classification of individuals as "unlawful combatants."

The Trump administration maintains that these operations are part of a broader conflict with designated terrorist organizations. A formal notice sent to Congress supports this assertion, though bipartisan lawmakers have expressed frustration with the lack of transparency and insufficient legal clarification.

Additionally, the State Department continues to offer a $50 million reward for the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, while his political opponent María Corina Machado recently won the Nobel Peace Prize for her democratic advocacy.