President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct operations in Venezuela, markedly escalating U.S. pressure on President Nicolás Maduro amid a string of lethal strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in Caribbean waters off that country’s coast.

Trump declined to say whether he had authorized the CIA to overthrow Maduro, a step some of his top national security aides have urged. “I think Venezuela’s feeling the heat,” he said at a White House news conference.

The president was asked about reports that he signed a highly classified document, known as a “finding,” that allows the CIA to conduct covert operations in foreign countries, ranging from clandestine information operations to training guerrilla opposition forces and cond

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