President Trump confirmed that he personally authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, citing two primary reasons: the mass transfer of Venezuelan prisoners and mentally ill individuals into the U.S., and the surge of drug trafficking from the country. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said traditional Coast Guard interdictions “never worked,” noting that “they have faster boats, but not faster than missiles,” in reference to recent U.S. strikes that destroyed suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean. He stated that every vessel destroyed “saves 25,000 American lives,” emphasizing that Venezuela’s government would face escalating pressure as part of a broader strategy in the war on cartels. When asked if the CIA had authorization to target Nicolás Maduro directly, Trump declined to elaborate but warned that “Venezuela is feeling the heat.” The remarks come amid bipartisan debate in Congress over whether such actions constitute acts of war taken without legislative approval.