(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump officially acknowledged on Wednesday that he has granted permission for CIA activities within Venezuelan territory.

This statement came after a report by a media outlet disclosed that the greenlight would enable American intelligence agents to conduct lethal missions targeting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump has frequently blamed Maduro’s administration for operating “narco-terrorist” cartels and for contributing to the influx of cocaine and fentanyl into the United States.

During a session in the Oval Office, a journalist questioned Trump directly: “Why did you authorize the CIA to go into Venezuela?”

In response, Trump stated, “I authorized for two reasons, really. Number one, they [Venezuela] have emptied their prisons into the United States of America.”

He further elaborated that the second reason involved narcotics. “And the other thing is the drugs. We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea, so you get to see that, but we’re going to stop them by land also,” he said.

However, when asked whether the CIA had been given orders to “take out Maduro,” Trump refused to provide a definitive answer. “I don’t want to answer a question like that. Wouldn’t it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?” he responded.

During his initial term in office, Trump enacted extensive economic penalties on Venezuela and more recently increased the financial reward for details leading to Maduro’s capture to $50 million.

The United States has also dispatched a naval fleet to the eastern Caribbean and, since September, has reportedly intercepted and destroyed at least five vessels accused of transporting narcotics from Venezuela.

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