The CIA is quietly working to establish a permanent U.S. presence inside Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, according to CNN, citing multiple sources familiar with the planning.
Discussions between the CIA and the State Department have focused on shaping both the short- and long-term U.S. footprint in the country. While the State Department is expected to serve as the primary long-term diplomatic presence, the Trump administration is relying on the CIA to lead initial re-entry efforts during Venezuela’s political transition and ongoing security instability.
“State plants the flag but CIA is really the influence,” one source familiar with the planning told CNN.
U.S. officials may initially operate from a CIA annex before an official embassy opens, allowing informal engagement with government factions, opposition figures, and potential third-party threats. A former U.S. official said such an annex would enable intelligence-level liaison conversations that diplomats cannot conduct, drawing a comparison to CIA operations in Ukraine.
CIA officers were already on the ground in Venezuela in the months leading up to Maduro’s capture, including a covert team installed last August to track his movements. The operation was supported by assets that included a CIA source within the Venezuelan government who assisted U.S. efforts to monitor Maduro’s location.
The administration’s decision to back Delcy Rodríguez over opposition leader Maria Machado was informed by a classified CIA analysis assessing the impact of Maduro’s removal and its near-term implications. That intelligence product was commissioned by senior policymakers, and the CIA is expected to continue providing assessments as the new leadership consolidates power.
