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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Venezuela said it has captured mercenaries "with direct information" relating to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as Caracas accused neighboring Trinidad and Tobago of a "military provocation" by carrying out joint drills with the U.S.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has launched multiple lethal strikes on alleged drug boats close to Venezuela and Colombia as part of what officials paint as a crackdown on narcotics trafficking into the U.S. that has strained American relations with Colombia, a longtime ally, and worsened tensions with Venezuela. The U.S. moved significant military assets to the southern Caribbean, bolstered by the announcement last week that the U.S. Navy's newest and largest aircraft carrier would join fighter jets, a submarine and multiple warships already in the region.
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The White House has little love for Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, and has doubled the reward for information leading to his arrest on drug-related and corruption charges to $50 million. Venezuela said it is ready to respond and released an appeal in English from Maduro, calling for peace.
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What To Know
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez did not give further details about the "mercenary group" she said was linked to the CIA in a statement published on Sunday but said it intended to carry out what she termed a "false flag" operation. The term refers to a plan that makes another party look responsible for an operation or action. Rodríguez said the operation was setting the stage for a "full military confrontation with our country."
Trump this month confirmed that he greenlit covert CIA operations on land in Venezuela. The agency has a long history of operating in Latin America.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Southern Command referred queries to the White House. Newsweek has reached out to the CIA for comment.
At least 43 people have been killed in U.S. strikes in the southern Caribbean and Pacific since early September, according to figures published by the Trump administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the U.S. killed six people in a second strike in the Pacific shortly after the U.S. said an initial attack in the region killed two people.
The administration has publicly acknowledged 10 strikes on alleged drug vessels in both regions. Venezuela, the U.N., international experts as well as Democrats and Republicans have raised concerns that the U.S. strikes break international law. Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, first lady Melania Trump's former lawyer, told Newsweek this month that the U.S. risked losing its international credibility by continuing its strike campaign on the alleged narcotics vessels.
What People Are Saying
Florida Senator Rick Scott told CBS News' 60 Minutes in a program aired on Sunday: “If I was Maduro, I'd head to Russia or China right now.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham on CBS' Face The Nation on Sunday: “The game is changing when it comes to drug traffickers and drug cartels. We're going to use military force like we have in the past to protect our country."
Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz, the U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, in a statement about the joint exercises between the U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago: “The partnership between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago exemplifies regional strength through collaboration. Together, we address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts."
What Happens Next
While experts say a land invasion of Venezuela by U.S. forces is unlikely, observers suggest that the U.S. could be working toward Maduro's removal from power. The U.S., along with many European and Latin American countries, does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate winner of the July 2024 election.
"I hope Maduro would leave peacefully, but I don't think he's going to stay around much longer," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on Sunday. Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott said over the weekend that Maduro's "days are numbered."
The USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, on Sunday as U.S. Marines prepared to train with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF). The drills are scheduled to last until Thursday.
The government of Trinidad and Tobago said it had been clear about the purpose of the military exercises throughout and it valued its "relationship with the people of Venezuela given our shared history and close fraternal relations."
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