US media exposes: The US once discussed a plan to arrest Maduro and control Venezuela's oil
Washington, November 23 -- RIA Novosti
According to sources cited by The Washington Post, the Trump administration considered the possibility of arresting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and controlling the country's oil fields.
The report said, "By summer, the government was considering plans to target drug trafficking vessels, as well as a second set of options for Venezuela, including controlling oil fields and 'capturing and detaining' Maduro."
Additionally, according to the newspaper's sources, the CIA is rapidly intensifying its work in the drug enforcement department, with efforts comparable to the U.S. "war on terror" launched after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York.
The report concluded that Trump ultimately signed a document in October authorizing the CIA to conduct secret operations against drug traffickers. The document was broad and tough, aimed at combating transnational criminal organizations, including allowing the use of lethal force.
White House and intelligence community lawyers had expressed doubts about the legality of targeting drug trafficking vessels, but the White House provided a legal basis for its actions, stating that the U.S. is in a "non-international" armed conflict with terrorist organizations, which provides justification for Washington's actions.
The New York Times previously cited sources reporting that President Donald Trump had approved a CIA plan for secret operations in Venezuela, which could prepare for U.S. military action.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849534522075146/
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