US President Donald Trump confirmed reports that he authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in US efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro's regime.
The New York Times first reported the classified directive, citing US officials familiar with the decision.
Mr Trump said he authorised the action for two main reasons.
First, he claimed Venezuela has been releasing large numbers of prisoners, including individuals from mental health facilities, into the United States, often crossing the border due to what he described as an open border policy.
Mr Trump did not specify which border they were crossing.
The second reason, he said, was the large amount of drugs entering the US from Venezuela, much of it trafficked by sea.
"I think Venezuela is feeling heat...," Mr Trump added, but declined to answer when asked if the CIA has the authority to execute Mr Maduro.
Yesterday, a US strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela killed six suspected drug traffickers, Mr Trump said.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said the strike had been carried out against a designated terrorist organization, but he did not provide any details on which group.
"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks," Mr Trump said, without providing evidence.
A roughly 30-second video, which Mr Trump posted, appeared to show a stationary vessel in a body of water being hit with a projectile before exploding.
The Pentagon recently disclosed to Congress that Mr Trump has determined the United States is engaged in "a non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels.
