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US President Donald Trump has confirmed a report that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, sparking anger from the South American country's leaders.
US forces have carried out at least five raids on suspected drug-trafficking ships in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing 27 people. UN-appointed human rights experts have described the raids as "extrajudicial executions".
Speaking at the White House, Trump said the US is "looking at the possibility of using land" as it considers further attacks on drug cartels in the region.
Nicolas Maduro, whose legitimacy as president of Venezuela has been internationally contested after last year's disputed elections, called on television for peace with the United States.
The increased US military presence in the region has increased fears in Caracas of a possible attack.
According to the New York Times, Trump's authorization would allow the CIA to conduct operations in Venezuela unilaterally or as part of any broader US military activity.
It remains unknown whether the CIA is planning operations in Venezuela, or whether these plans are being held as a contingency, but the spy agency has a long history of activities in South America.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump was asked about the New York Times report.
"Why did you authorize the CIA to enter Venezuela?" a journalist asked.
"I authorized it for two reasons actually," Trump said in a highly unusual admission from a U.S. commander-in-chief regarding an intelligence organization whose activities are usually kept secret.
"First of all, they [Venezuela] have been emptying their prisons into the United States of America. And the other thing is drugs. We have a lot of drugs coming out of Venezuela, and a lot of Venezuelan drugs coming in by sea, so you can see that, but we're going to stop them by land as well," Trump said.
Venezuela plays a relatively small role in the regional drug trade. The president would not back down if the CIA's aim was to overthrow Maduro, for whom the US has offered a $50m (£37m) bounty.
In the latest US attack on Tuesday, six people were killed when a boat was targeted near the coast of Venezuela.
In Truth Social, Trump said that "intelligence confirmed that the ship was trafficking narcotics, was connected to illegal narco-terrorist networks, and was traveling along a known" drug trafficking corridor.
As has happened in previous attacks, US officials have not specified which drug trafficking organization is suspected of operating the ship, or the identities of those on board.
Maduro went on the radio on Wednesday evening to warn against escalating the situation.
"No to regime change, which reminds us so much of the endless and failed wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and so on," said the socialist leader.
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