16/10/2025
TRUMP AUTHORIZES CIA TO USE LETHAL STRIKES lN VENEZUELA..TT Trapped In Middle Of Escalating Proxy War
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (October 15, 2025): TRINIDAD and Tobago is likely to become trapped smack in the middle of an escalating proxy war between America and Venezuela as US President Donald Trump has reportedly granted the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) new authority to conduct lethal covert operations in Venezuela.
The move marks a major escalation in US policy toward the Nicolás Maduro government, with the Trinidad and Tobago government standing firm with Trump on his war on narco-terrorism in the Caribbean.
According to a Newsweek investigation, the move effectively authorizes the CIA to carry out paramilitary actions beyond traditional intelligence work, extending into Venezuela and parts of the Caribbean.
Trininidad and Tobago is the Caribbean's southernmost island, situated a mere 11 miles from mainland Venezuela.
The previous government headed by then Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had signed a new State Of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which binds Trinidad and Tobago to military co-operation with the US.
The Trump directive to the CIA coincides with continuing U.S. military strikes against what Washington says are narcotrafficking vessels off the Venezuelan coast — operations that have already left several dozen people dead.
Trump publicly confirmed the expanded CIA mandate, saying it was a response to “rising narcotics trafficking” and alleged claims that Venezuela had sent criminals across the US border.
Legal experts have warned that such actions could breach international law if undertaken without Venezuela’s consent, while US lawmakers from both parties are calling for transparency on the scope and legality of the missions.
The US has placed a US$50 million bounty on President Maduro, accusing him of leading a drug-trafficking organization tied to Venezuela’s military and political elite.
Over 10,000 US troops and naval assets have reportedly been deployed to the region, though the White House has not disclosed the duration or full objectives of the operation.
The developments have sparked concern across Latin America and the Caribbean