The government of Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro claimed in a Sunday statement that it captured an alleged “mercenary group” with “direct information” from the CIA. The statement from Maduro’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused the alleged group of planning a “false flag operation” from around nearby Trinidad and Tobago and accused the small island nation of performing ongoing “military exercises” under “the coordination,

President Donald Trump has confirmed that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela.

Venezuela on Sunday condemned what it said was a military provocation by neighboring Trinidad and Tobago in coordination with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, aimed at spurring a full military confrontation with the Latin American nation.

Venezuela said Monday it thwarted what it called a CIA-linked plot to attack a US warship anchored in Trinidad and blame the government in Caracas.

President Donald Trump has confirmed CIA operations in Venezuela, intensifying pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The acknowledgment drew pushback from human rights organizations, who warned of possible violations of international law.

President Donald Trump said today he authorized the CIA to operate inside Venezuela to clamp down on illegal flows of migrants and drugs from the South American nation, but stopped short of saying they would have authority to remove President Nicolas Maduro.

Rand Paul tells TIME he is working with Democrats to force a vote on a resolution to block Trump's Venezuela strikes as early as next week

The United States has bombed six ships near Venezuela President Donald Trump greenlit the CIA to operate inside the country. Why is this happening?