_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
The CIA is working to establish a permanent footprint inside Venezuela following the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, according to multiple sources familiar with the planning. While the State Department will serve as the official diplomatic face of the US in the country, the Trump administration is leaning heavily on the intelligence agency during Venezuela's political transition.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe was the first senior Trump administration official to visit Venezuela after Maduro's ousting, meeting with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and military leaders. The agency's near-term objectives include laying the groundwork for formal diplomacy and cultivating relationships with key power players across Venezuela's political spectrum.
_THE FACTS_
The CIA covertly inserted a team inside Venezuela in August to track Maduro's movements and routines, intelligence that proved critical to his capture.
"[The State Department] plants the flag, but CIA is really the influence," said one source familiar with the planning process.
US personnel may initially operate out of a CIA annex rather than an official embassy, allowing informal contact with government factions.
The Trump administration's decision to back Rodríguez over opposition leader María Corina Machado was informed by a classified CIA assessment on the political consequences of Maduro's removal.
The CIA is expected to brief Venezuelan officials on intelligence related to threats posed by China, Russia, and Iran.
The State Department withdrew all diplomatic personnel from the Caracas embassy in 2019 and has been operating through Bogotá, Colombia.
In October, the Trump administration authorized the CIA to carry out lethal covert operations in Venezuela as part of escalating regime-change efforts.
Long-term plans for Venezuela remain uncertain, and US officials involved in planning have reportedly not received cohesive direction from the White House.
_INSIGHTS_
While the CIA is reportedly stepping up its operations inside Venezuela to solidify American influence, the agency has maintained a footprint there since at least the late Cold War, with deep involvement during the 1980s and 1990s. Nicolás Maduro had spent years accusing the CIA of plotting against him.
This story is likely emerging now because the Trump administration has shifted from quiet diplomatic pressure to actively managing a destabilized country. Broadcasting the CIA’s permanent presence lets hostile Venezuelan factions, and also hostile countries like China and Russia, know that the US is in control now, with its intelligence services active and ready to maintain control.
