CIA Strikes Venezuelan Dock Trump Linked to Drug Smugglers: Report

• A drone strike by the CIA reportedly targeted a Venezuelan dock last week, believed to be used by drug cartels, marking the first known direct US operation on Venezuelan soil since September.
• President Trump alluded to the operation, describing it as hitting a "big facility" and a "dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," but declined to confirm CIA involvement.
• The strike escalates the US administration's pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government, following a buildup of US personnel and previous strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean.
• CIA and White House officials declined to comment, while Special Operations Command denied supporting the operation. Venezuelan officials have not acknowledged the strike.
• Trump had previously authorized the CIA for covert action in Venezuela, citing drug trafficking and the emptying of prisons into the US as reasons.

Why It Matters: CIA reportedly conducted a drone strike on a Venezuelan drug dock, escalating US pressure on Maduro.