CIA establishing foothold in Venezuela after US abduction of Maduro: Report

The United States is establishing a permanent Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) presence in Venezuela following the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro, in a move signaling a direct effort by Washington to influence the country’s future.

While the US State Department is expected to serve as the primary long‑term diplomatic presence, the administration of US President Donald Trump will likely rely heavily on the CIA to lead the initial re‑entry into Venezuela due to the country’s unstable political and security situation, CNN reported.

“State plants the flag but CIA is really the influence,” one source familiar with the planning said.

According to the report, the spy agency is quietly building influence on the ground, meeting local officials, monitoring opponents, and shaping the policies of the new leadership installed after Maduro’s kidnapping.

Sources described the CIA’s role as setting the stage for diplomatic efforts and providing security in ways traditional diplomats cannot.

Months before the US raid on January 3, CIA officers were operating inside Venezuela, tracking Maduro’s movements through internal sources.

Their intelligence, sources say, helped plan his abduction, underscoring the agency’s direct involvement in overthrowing a sovereign government.

Officials familiar with planning discussions told CNN that the CIA is now effectively running US operations inside Venezuela, providing guidance to the interim government and managing relations that diplomats alone cannot handle, especially on issues involving geopolitical rivals such as China, Russia, and Iran.

Despite these developments, the Trump administration has yet to clearly define its broader long‑term goals in Venezuela, leaving the CIA as the main driver of Washington’s control.

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Plans to reopen the US embassy in Caracas also remain uncertain, with much of the influence expected to remain in the hands of intelligence officers.

Shortly after Maduro’s abduction, the State Department dispatched a team from the Venezuela Affairs Unit to Caracas to “conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations.”

A senior US official said that “a limited number of US diplomatic and technical personnel” are in Caracas conducting initial assessments.

The visits underscore Washington’s desire to re‑establish a presence in a country where Trump has publicly suggested the United States would “run” the government.

Many observers warn that this approach undermines Venezuela’s sovereignty and democracy, effectively turning the nation into a de facto US protectorate under covert intelligence control.

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