
The CIA is providing the bulk of the information used by the Trump administration to conduct strikes in the Caribbean, ensuring that most of the evidence to justify the moves will remain secret, according to a new report.
Citing three sources familiar with the operations, The Guardian noted that the CIA's role in the operations has not been previously disclosed. It added that the agency is providing real-time intelligence collected by satellites and signal intercepts to detect which are carrying drugs.
All information gathered about vessels and those operating them are likely to remain classified, the outlet noted. A spokesperson for the CIA declined to comment and referred all questions to the Pentagon. Another spokesperson for the Defense Department said that "due to operational security, we do not talk about matters of intelligence."
Moreover, Anna Kelly, the White House deputy press secretary, told the outlet that the "decisive strikes have been against designated narcoterrorists bringing deadly poison to our shores, and the president will continue to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice."
The administration has so far has carried out at least seven military strikes off the coast of Venezuela over the past eight weeks, killing 32 people
In this context, a new report by Axios, analyzed the reasons behind President Donald Trump authorizing CIA covert operations on Venezuelan soil while deploying warships, spy planes, drones, and bombers to the Caribbean. "It's not just the CIA, it's all of our intelligence capabilities," one insider involved in the discussions said. "The U.S. knows where Maduro is, where he stays, where he goes. If we wanted to kill him with a missile, we could have done it by now."
Axios noted that the pace of strikes could increase following the resignation of Admiral Alvin Holsey, the head of the U.S. Southern Command. Holsey reportedly raised concerns about the legality of the operations and moved more cautiously than Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth preferred.
The Pentagon denied that Holsey objected to the strikes but did not explain why he stepped down after only a year in the role, which typically lasts three. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the campaign, saying that "every action taken by the Department is deliberate, lawful, and precise."
Subsequent reports have confirmed that Trump authorized the CIA to conduct lethal covert operations against the Venezuelan government. Officials said the operations could extend throughout the Caribbean and are part of a broader effort to remove Maduro from power.
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