Trump confirms CIA authorization in Venezuela as Maduro rejects regime change
U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations within Venezuela, a move that has sparked strong outrage from the country's leader.
The US has conducted at least five strikes on suspected drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing 27 people. US Air Force B-52 bombers also circled over the Caribbean Sea on Wednesday for several hours, News.Az reports citing BBC.
Trump has said the US "is looking at land" and eyeing more strikes on drug cartels in the area. The flurry of action came as a top US military leader in the region announced his sudden retirement.
Nicolás Maduro, whose legitimacy as Venezuela's president is internationally contested, has appealed for peace with the US.
He addressed the "people of the United States" in the television address, saying "no war, yes peace".
Speaking at the White House, Trump said he believed the military had sea drug operations under control but was now looking at land.
The increased US military presence in the region has raised fears in Caracas of a possible attack. There are reportedly about 10,000 US forces built up in the Caribbean, either on ships or in Puerto Rico, a US territory.
UN-appointed human rights experts have described the US strikes as "extrajudicial executions".
BBC Verify confirmed that three B-52 bomber planes - the likes of which have been used during conflicts in Iraq and Syria - took off from Barksdale Air Force base in the gulf state of Louisiana.
A Global Strike Command spokesperson also confirmed to CBS, the BBC's US media partner, that the three aircraft had flown missions near Venezuela.
Meanwhile on Thursday, the commander of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, announced on social media that he would retire by the end of the year. His purview includes the Caribbean Sea, where the US has conducted strikes against alleged drug boats at Trump's behest.
"The SOUTHCOM team has made lasting contributions to the defense of our nation, and will continue to do so," he said. "I am confident that you will forge ahead, focused on your mission that strengthens our nation and ensures its longevity as a beacon of freedom around the globe."
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth praised Holsey's career and wrote on social media that the admiral "demonstrated unwavering commitment to mission, people, and nation".
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