U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, announced that he had approved CIA-led secret missions in Venezuela, representing strong American actions to challenge President Nicolas Maduro's regime.
The classified order was initially disclosed by The New York Times, based on insights from U.S. officials, which described the Trump team's approach in Venezuela as focused on ousting Maduro.
The U.S. government has put up a $50 million bounty for tips resulting in Maduro's capture and guilty verdict on narcotics-related accusations.
Trump explained his decision by pointing to the massive influx of illegal drugs reaching the U.S. from Venezuela, often smuggled via maritime routes.
Trump mentioned that Pentagon brass is now looking at “ground strikes” in Venezuela.
Trump said, “We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea under control.”
Responding to a reporter’s question about ground assault targeting Maduro, Trump didn’t rule out the possibility, saying, “I don’t want to answer a question like that.”
Last month, the Trump administration officially stated that the U.S. is locked in an “armed conflict” against drug cartels, which Trump has labeled as “unlawful combatants,” as per the details of the secret memo sent to Congress.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration keep insisting those supposed drug-running boats are linked to Tren de Aragua crew and “narcoterrorists,” but they have not dropped any public evidence while Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth post strike videos all over social media.
Trump has beefed up a massive U.S. troop surge in the Southern Caribbean, where forces have unleashed at least five strikes on ships the White House believes are involved in drug trafficking, without providing substantial evidence.
