Vidostream | News, sport and opinion from the Vidostream's US Edition

https://vidostream.com

Trump confirms he authorized CIA action in Venezuela

Trump's comments were an extraordinary acknowledgment from a president, and they step up the administration's pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, on September 15. Miguel Gutierrez/EPA/Shutterstock

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, on September 15. Miguel Gutierrez/EPA/Shutterstock

By Dan De Luce

The CIA’s operations abroad are usually shrouded in secrecy, but President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had authorized it to take unspecified action in Venezuela, an extraordinary and unprecedented acknowledgment from a commander in chief.

“Why did you authorize the CIA to go into Venezuela?” a reporter asked Trump at the White House.

“I authorized for two reasons, really,” Trump said. “No. 1, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America."

The second reason, he said, was narcotics trafficking.

“And the other thing are drugs. We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela,” he said.

Trump made the highly unusual remarks only hours after The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had authorized the CIA to carry out covert lethal action in Venezuela.

The CIA declined to comment on the report.

Asked whether the CIA had authority to “take out” the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, Trump said: “Oh, I don’t want to answer a question like that. That’s a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn’t it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?”

“I think Venezuela is feeling heat," he added. "But I think a lot of other countries are feeling heat, too.”

Trump said Tuesday on social media that the U.S. military had carried out a strike on another boat in the Caribbean, which he claimed was smuggling narcotics to the United States. It was the fifth such strike since early September.

Read More (...)

Source: NBC News

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.
You did not use the site, Click here to remain logged. Timeout: 60 second