The Trump administration has secretly authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela as part of its campaign to remove President Nicols Maduro from power, according to US officials.

The authorisation marks a sharp escalation in the administration’s efforts to pressure Caracas. In recent weeks, US forces have targeted boats off Venezuela’s coast allegedly used for drug trafficking, killing 27 people. Officials have privately said the ultimate goal is regime change — to drive Maduro from power.

The new directive gives the CIA power to carry out lethal missions and other clandestine operations across Venezuela and the Caribbean — either independently or as part of a broader US military plan. It remains unclear whether such operations are underway or if the authorization serves

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