President Trump said Wednesday he authorized the CIA to secretly conduct operations in Venezuela, including possible strikes against drug cartels.

Why it matters: The announcement follows rising tensions with Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, as the U.S. military targets boats allegedly carrying drugs.

The latest: While the Trump administration has said its goal in sending warships to Venezuela was to stop drug trafficking, it's made clear that it wants to see Maduro removed from power one way or another and has offered a $50 million reward for his arrest. • In the latest installment of attacks against Venezuelan boats, Trump said Tuesday on Truth Social that he ordered a lethal strike on a vessel "trafficking narcotics," which killed all six "narcoterrorists" on board.

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