The decision made by the United States government, confirmed by President Donald Trump on October 15, 2025, to authorize the CIA to conduct lethal covert operations in Venezuela with the explicit aim of overthrowing or eliminating Nicolás Maduro, marks one of the most significant escalations in U.S. security policy towards the chavista regime in over two decades.
According to sources cited by The New York Times and The Washington Post, this measure was approved through a “presidential finding” classified document, which grants the Central Intelligence Agency the power to perform lethal actions beyond U.S. borders, either unilaterally or in coordination with larger military operations. While officially framed within the fight against drug trafficking and illegal migration, its actual purpose is directed towards regime change in Caracas.
Unrelenting War
Washington has launched an intensive campaign of legitimacy erosion against Maduro, accusing him of being the leader of the Cartel of the Suns, committing “narcoterrorism” crimes, and offering a reward of $50 million for his capture.
This strategy not only criminalizes Maduro on the international stage but also aims to fracture internal support among elites, the military, and the population. Through psychological operations (psyops) and amplified media narratives, the U.S. seeks to instigate dissent within chavismo under the pretext that the regime represents a threat to U.S. national security.
The authorization of covert operations in Venezuela is part of the National Security Strategy (NSS) of the Trump administration, focused on the principle of “America First,” the defense of the Western Hemisphere, and combating the influence of China, Russia, and Iran, strategic allies of Maduro.
“The goal is not just to physically remove Maduro but to reprogram the collective perception in the region,” analysts cited by Al Jazeera state. “Washington aims to build a narrative of liberation that justifies more aggressive actions.”
Sanctions, Cyberattacks, and Naval Power
During 2025, the United States executed five lethal operations in the Caribbean, resulting in 27 deaths allegedly linked to narcoterrorism. Meanwhile, the Pentagon maintains 10,000 troops in Puerto Rico, in addition to submarines and amphibious ships positioned off the Venezuelan coast.
Furthermore, there is a financial blockade, cyberoperations against intelligence and drug trafficking networks, and diplomatic isolation of the regime. The Trump administration suspended dialogue channels with Maduro, solidifying a total pressure offensive.
This hybrid strategy design allows Washington to maintain plausible deniability—avoiding accusations of direct aggression—while increasing internal pressure on the regime.
The Hidden Power of the CIA
While the U.S. is the dominant power, the operation in Venezuela adopts an asymmetric approach, characteristic of conflicts aiming to minimize human and political costs. Instead of a conventional invasion, Washington has delegated the CIA to conduct surgical actions—target elimination, infiltration of criminal networks, and manipulation of internal loyalties.
This method of warfare, described by Reuters as a “tropicalized version of post-9/11 counterterrorism,” seeks to exploit the structural weaknesses of chavismo: corruption, rivalries within the Armed Forces, and dependence on external allies.
The closest precedent is the operation that eliminated Osama bin Laden in 2011, although in this case, the goal is political and strategic: to dismantle the core of power in Caracas without declaring conflict. Trump has even hinted that “there could be ground attacks” if the regime responds with violence, marking a shift from asymmetric to hybrid-conventional tactics.
The New Security Hemisphere
The National Security Doctrine of Trump 2.0 redefines the strategic priorities of the U.S. on the continent. Under the slogan “America First,” Venezuela emerges as a direct threat to border security, being considered the epicenter of two crises: massive migration to the north and the trafficking of fentanyl and cocaine into the U.S. market.
Sources from The New York Times indicate that the “presidential finding” granted to the CIA is based on previous intelligence and counternarcotics authorities, reinterpreted as part of an “armed conflict against terrorist and criminal organizations”. This redefinition allows for the use of lethal force under the exception of “national self-defense,” avoiding conflicts with Executive Order 12333, which prohibits political assassinations.
However, experts warn that this decision could have unpredictable consequences.
The White House’s authorization for the CIA to conduct lethal covert operations in Venezuela is not an isolated event: it represents the convergence of three modern warfare doctrines—cognitive, hybrid, and asymmetric— within the same scenario.
Thus, Washington aims to reconstruct the hemispheric order under its narrative and operational dominance, confronting chavismo with new rules of engagement. But the risk of regional escalation, or a coordinated response from Russia, China, and Iran, could turn Venezuela into the epicenter of a new Latin American Cold War.