US President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and said he is considering conducting ground operations in the country, the AP reported.
Asked during an Oval Office event on Wednesday why he authorized the CIA to intervene in Venezuela, Trump confirmed that he had taken the step.
“I approved it for two reasons, really,” Trump replied. “No. 1, they emptied their prisons into the United States of America,” he said. “And another thing, drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming from Venezuela, and a lot of Venezuelan drugs are coming by sea.
Trump added that the administration is “looking at the ground” as it considers more strikes in the region. He declined to say whether the CIA has the authority to take action against President Nicolás Maduro.
(More details to follow…)
