US President Donald Trump has confirmed authorising the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, dramatically intensifying Washington's standoff with President Nicolas Maduro. Trump claimed the decision was driven by migration and drug trafficking, though he offered no proof. Caracas condemned the action as a violation of international law and vowed to raise the issue at the UN. The US has already launched several deadly strikes in the region, prompting warnings from lawmakers and experts that Trump's secretive campaign risks triggering open conflict.
