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Venezuela has again accused the United States of preparing to launch a coup within the country, following statements from President Trump confirming he authorized covert CIA operations within Venezuela.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: Over the last two months, the United States has continued to surge military assets into the Caribbean in what the White House describes as a large-scale counternarcotics operation targeting drug trafficking routes originating from Venezuela. The US Navy has deployed eight warships, including three guided-missile destroyers, along with a nuclear-powered submarine and a fleet of aircraft such as F-35 fighter jets, surveillance planes, and drones. New reporting confirms the presence of roughly 10,000 US personnel in the region, with most stationed in Puerto Rico and aboard amphibious assault ships. While the Pentagon maintains the buildup is focused on disrupting narcotics smuggling networks, some military analysts argue the scale and nature of the deployment suggests a broader objective, possibly laying the groundwork for deeper intervention in Venezuela. Since the operation began, the US has carried out five strikes on boats it claims were smuggling drugs off the Venezuelan coast, resulting in the deaths of at least 27 people.
What’s going on now: Venezuela has once again claimed that the United States is actively laying the groundwork for a coup, pointing to a series of recent escalations (including President Trump’s confirmation that he authorized covert CIA operations targeting the Maduro government). Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump openly stated that he authorized the CIA to act against Venezuela, citing drug trafficking and claims that the Maduro regime “emptied their prisons” into the US.
His unusual public acknowledgment of covert operations has intensified concerns in Venezuela that US efforts have moved beyond counternarcotics and into the realm of political destabilization. Over the last 24 hours, Venezuelan state-controlled media have run articles claiming that the US is preparing to “overthrow” Maduro and launch attacks within Venezuela.
This comes as the US has also grown notably more hawkish in recent days toward Venezuela. In what some observers see as a show of force, at least two B-52 bombers flew for hours off Venezuela’s coast in international airspace, an act Maduro’s government condemned as deliberate intimidation.
