The CIA has carried out the first known US drone strike on Venezuelan territory, targeting a port facility in an operation aimed at weakening President Nicolás Maduro's government. According to a government official familiar with the operation, the strike marked a new escalation of the Trump administration's campaign against Maduro's regime.
The attack, which occurred last week, hit a dock used by members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. No people were on the dock at the time of the strike, and no one was killed or injured. The CIA had conducted drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan during the war on terror but has largely been out of the spotlight since then.
The Trump administration has made numerous claims about Tren de Aragua, including that the gang is acting as "a de facto arm of" Maduro's government, which has been disputed by intelligence assessments. The US has also targeted alleged narco-terrorists in the Pacific Ocean, killing two individuals in a separate strike on Monday.
Critics argue that Trump's actions amount to an authoritarian takeover of the US government and undermine democratic values. Some have noted that regime change operations often fail to reduce violence or increase democracy but instead lead to regional instability, human rights abuses, and civil war.
The Intercept has been critical of the Trump administration's handling of Venezuela and has reported on numerous attempts by the US government to destabilize Maduro's regime. The organization is now seeking support from its members to expand its reporting capacity in 2026.
The incident highlights the growing tension between the Trump administration and Maduro's government, with the latter describing the US actions as an "act of aggression".
The attack, which occurred last week, hit a dock used by members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. No people were on the dock at the time of the strike, and no one was killed or injured. The CIA had conducted drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan during the war on terror but has largely been out of the spotlight since then.
The Trump administration has made numerous claims about Tren de Aragua, including that the gang is acting as "a de facto arm of" Maduro's government, which has been disputed by intelligence assessments. The US has also targeted alleged narco-terrorists in the Pacific Ocean, killing two individuals in a separate strike on Monday.
Critics argue that Trump's actions amount to an authoritarian takeover of the US government and undermine democratic values. Some have noted that regime change operations often fail to reduce violence or increase democracy but instead lead to regional instability, human rights abuses, and civil war.
The Intercept has been critical of the Trump administration's handling of Venezuela and has reported on numerous attempts by the US government to destabilize Maduro's regime. The organization is now seeking support from its members to expand its reporting capacity in 2026.
The incident highlights the growing tension between the Trump administration and Maduro's government, with the latter describing the US actions as an "act of aggression".
The situation in Venezuela is getting more complicated by the minute. It seems like the US is taking a step back into the world of covert operations without considering all the possible consequences. Will this lead to more regional instability or can we find a peaceful solution? 
. Newsflash: if Maduro can't handle his own country, maybe he shouldn't be president... but hey, that's not exactly the US government's problem, right? 
The whole situation with Tren de Aragua and Maduro's government just seems really complex... I'm not sure who to trust anymore 
. It just feels like we're messing around with fire without having any idea how to put it out 
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. I'm all for standing up for what's right, but we need to do it in a way that doesn't harm innocent people or destabilize entire regions.
like, have you seen the movies where they do that? doesn't work out so well in real life 
. btw, anyone else tired of these regime change ops where they just assume Maduro's gov is this monolithic evil entity? newsflash: it's a bunch of people trying to survive 
. It feels like we're playing with fire here. The CIA drone strike was a huge escalation and it's only gonna make things worse. We're talking about a country that's already on the brink of collapse, and now we're trying to weaken Maduro's government? That's just not going to end well 
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. And what about all the people who are actually suffering in Venezuela? The ones who don't have access to food, water, or healthcare? Do they even care about them? 
. I just hope we can find a way to resolve this situation without causing more harm 
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. Mark my words, there's more to this story than meets the eye 
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. I mean, who needs diplomacy when you can just drone someone? Not exactly the kind of thing that's gonna get us invited to dinner parties anytime soon 
. I bet they didn't expect their dock to become a hot spot for CIA action 
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. Still, this whole thing is just getting more and more complicated by the minute... and I'm loving every minute of it 
but honestly, isn't that gonna lead to more problems than solve? my friends think it's a huge mistake and that it'll escalate into civil war 
. btw, did you guys know that in our school's history class we just learned about the venezuelan crisis of 1999... it seems like this is part of a bigger pattern 
can you believe this?! 
but at what cost?! people are saying this is an authoritarian takeover of the US gov and it's just so messed up. 
I'm not surprised though, the Trump admin has always been super aggressive on foreign policy. 
. Maduro's got some pretty shady connections with gangs and stuff, so i can kinda see why trump would wanna take action 
. still, i think trump's got good intentions, even if his methods might be a bit...unconventional 
I mean, I get that Trump is trying to take down Maduro's government but at what cost? Innocent people getting hurt or killed? It's all so wrong, man... 
. We should be supporting our government, not questioning its actions in this case 
.