Wrap up your Thursday with the SOFREP Evening Brief – October 16, 2025.

Trump Confirms CIA Covert Operations in Venezuela, Weighs US Land Strikes

President Donald Trump confirmed this week that he authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, citing the country’s alleged role in sending drugs and released prisoners into the United States.

The admission follows a series of US military strikes in the Caribbean that destroyed five boats from Venezuela and killed 27 people.

Trump said the administration is also considering land operations, but declined to say whether the CIA has authority to target Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

President Trump confirms reports that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking

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