Earlier this week, shortly after The New York Times published that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been authorized to carry out covert action in Venezuela, President Donald Trump made the unusual acknowledgement.
"It's important to understand that the Central Intelligence Agency is responsible for seeking and finding that information that will help protect the United States of America," notes Bishop Derek Jones, a retired Air Force fighter pilot who now serves as executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.
"There's not any country that does not participate either through diplomatic means and even within diplomatic means to get important information," he adds.
But Jones has a problem with the idea that Nicolás Maduro (pictured above) has a bounty on his head.
CIA doing its jobBob Maginnis is a military strategist, and author of more than a dozen books on national defense. He says the revelation that the CIA is operating inside Venezuela shouldn't surprise anyone. "That's fair game for what the CIA does overseas and then providing information about known transportation of drugs to the border. Then they go after the boats that are laden with fentanyl. That seems to be fair game as well. It's in international waters and it's destined for the U.S., and it's going to kill thousands and thousands of Americans." Maginnis says this is how you conduct the drug war. "You find out where the bad guys are, you find out what they're doing, and you liquidate them. So, we should not be surprised. That's what the CIA is supposed to do, is supposed to help us internationally, and that's precisely what I see happening here.” |
President Trump declined to say whether the CIA has authority to take action against the Venezuelan president and cartel leader who is wanted by the U.S. Department of State. Maduro is the first target in the history of the Narcotics Rewards Program with a reward offer exceeding $25 million.
"It's a difficult situation because so many Americans see spy movies and kind of build this idea that people, for one reason or another, deserve to die. All people deserve to live and to be drawn to repentance in Christ, so I'm not happy that there's a bounty," he submits. "But obviously, we are concerned about those who would seek to do harm to Americans."
"In the interest of self-defense, that's a different ballpark altogether," Jones adds.
The $50 million reward is officially for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Maduro, not his death.
In recent weeks, the U.S. military has carried out a series of deadly strikes on drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. At least five boats – four of which originated from Venezuela, have been destroyed since early September.
Trump says he authorized the CIA to take action because Venezuela has emptied its prisons into the U.S. and continues to ship in deadly drugs. His administration is also "looking at land" as it considers further strikes in the region.
His acknowledgment of this covert CIA operation carries significant risks like compromising the safety of officers, foreign nationals, and others. It could also damage international relationships with foreign partners and escalate the conflict with Venezuela.
Once a president reveals classified information, it may promote a breakdown of discipline within the intelligence community and make future operations more difficult to keep secret. There could also be legal consequences.
