Waltz defends CIA operations in Venezuela to thwart ‘designated terrorist gangs’

Published October 16, 2025 12:00pm ET



Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Thursday defended the Trump administration’s CIA operations in Venezuela to thwart “designated terrorist gangs” that are trafficking drugs by land and sea.

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had authorized the CIA to engage in clandestine operations within Venezuela to undermine Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

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