Trump Administration Authorizes Covert C.I.A. Action in Venezuela NYT | Top Stories By: Julian E. Barnes and Tyler Pager 16 October 2025 at 01:56 The development comes as the U.S. military is drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including possible strikes inside the country. © Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York TimesNicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, in Caracas last month. American officials have been clear, privately, that the Trump administration aims to drive Mr. Maduro from power.