In a significant escalation of U.S. involvement in Venezuela, President Donald Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations aimed at destabilizing the government of leftist President Nicolas Maduro. This move, reminiscent of Cold War-era shadow wars, includes paramilitary actions, economic warfare, and media manipulation. Trump justified the decision by accusing Maduro of facilitating drug trafficking and directing Venezuelan prisoners into the U.S. Meanwhile, the U.S. has amassed a substantial military presence in the Caribbean, deploying guided-missile destroyers, F-35 jet fighters, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and special operations vessels. This buildup, the largest since the 1989 invasion of Panama, includes at least 10,000 troops and vessels capable of launching Tomahawk Cruise missiles. The U.S. has also conducted air strikes off Venezuela’s coast, targeting alleged drug-smuggling ships, which Maduro’s government denies, calling it a pretext for regime change. Trump hinted at potential land-based military action, stating, ‘We’ve almost totally stopped it by sea. Now we’ll stop it by land.’ When questioned about authorizing the CIA to ‘take out’ Maduro, Trump dismissed the query as ‘ridiculous.’ Despite running as a non-interventionist candidate, Trump has shown a willingness to deploy military force, with limited congressional opposition. The administration has invoked wartime powers, labeling Venezuelan drug cartels as ‘terrorist organizations’ and justifying strikes as self-defense. This latest intervention echoes U.S. Cold War tactics in Latin America, including coups in Guatemala and Chile and support for Contra fighters in Nicaragua. Maduro, who has governed since 2013, has ordered military exercises among civilians in anticipation of a potential invasion, vowing to resist U.S.-backed regime change.