Donald Trump Confirms He Authorized CIA Activity in Venezuela
Donald Trump Gives The Green Light For C.I.A. Activity In Venezuela
It looks like Donald Trump's beefing up his aggressive approach to Venezuela ... because he confirmed Wednesday he's authorized covert CIA activity in the country.
Trump is reportedly dedicated to ousting Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's longtime president, from power, according to The New York Times.
Trump also admitted his administration is looking into the feasibility of conducting land strikes inside Venezuelan borders.
ICYMI ... 47 has bragged about bombing small boats allegedly transporting drugs from the country in the Caribbean in recent weeks. His administration claimed the strikes all went down in international waters ... killing everyone on board -- though legal observers note little evidence has been presented about the boats' cargo, and no details have been released about the supposed suspects, or why they've been attacked instead of intercepted and seized.
Trump claims he's authorized Central Intelligence Agency -- the nation's foreign intelligence service -- personnel to operate in Venezuela because the country's leaders have "emptied their prisons" into the United States. The agency is reportedly authorized to carry out secret actions either by itself or as part of a bigger military operation.
That authorization doesn't sit well in the capital, Caracas, and the Venezuelan government issued a statement accusing Trump of trying to appropriate the country's petroleum resources.
We should also point out Trump ordered an end to talks with Maduro's government earlier this month ... and it doesn't seem like he's going to change his mind anytime soon.