US President Donald Trump revealed that he had authorized secret CIA (National Intelligence Agency) operations in Venezuela, a measure that opens space for everything from attacks on drug trafficking networks to actions that could target Nicolás Maduro’s government, former agents told the BBC.
Trump’s public acknowledgment of CIA authorizations exposes a little-known presidential power: that of ordering clandestine operations abroad without the need for prior approval from Congress. These decisions, called “presidential discoveries”, have in the past authorized drone attacks, financing of armed groups and even regime change programs.
Practical limits of operations
Under American law, the president can allow covert actions when they are considered necessary in the interests of national security. Next, the Executive must inform the Senate and House intelligence committees. Congress can only halt or restrict these operations through legislation or cutting funding.
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Former agents interviewed by the BBC remember that practical limits depend on the text of the authorization. Mick Mulroy, a former CIA agent, points out that, in practice, the president can make the authorization as broad as he wishes and even change it via decree. Possible instruments include selective killings, clandestine operations, local political influence and support for armed groups.
Situation in Venezuela is a mystery
It is not yet clear whether the CIA already executes, plans or just maintains these actions as a contingency in Venezuela.
Trump justified the measure this week by citing the flow of drugs towards the US and mentioned attacks on vessels in the Caribbean.
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Former employees point out that criminal networks such as the Tren de Aragua and the Cartel dos Sóis, classified by the US as terrorists, could be targets of paramilitary or drone operations.
For agency veterans, the methodology used in the war on terror — locating, neutralizing and eliminating targets — can be applied against these criminal organizations, expanding the spectrum of secret actions authorized by the president.
