'Will strike them on land now!': Trump authorises CIA ops in Venezuela to crack down on drug cartels

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he has authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a major escalation in Washington’s standoff with Caracas. The announcement comes after a series of deadly U.S. airstrikes on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks. Trump said his administration is also considering land-based military operations inside Venezuela to 'neutralise cartel-linked threats.'