CIA had inside Venezuelan agent tracking Maduro: Report
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- A Venezuelan government agent working with the CIA monitored President Nicolás Maduro’s location and movements before his capture.
- Surveillance included covert drones and intelligence reporting that helped U.S. forces carry out the operation.
The New York Times reports that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) worked with a Venezuelan government source to monitor President Nicolás Maduro’s whereabouts in the lead‑up to his arrest by US forces, according to people familiar with the intelligence operation.
The source inside Venezuela provided the CIA with detailed information on Maduro’s location and movements in the days and hours before he was detained. US intelligence then used covert surveillance, including unmanned stealth aircraft, to maintain near‑continuous observation over key areas, the report said.
Read more: Trump: ‘We’re looking at’ Machado to lead Venezuela
Role of covert surveillance
The New York Times described how CIA‑controlled drones flew undetected over Venezuelan territory to gather real‑time intelligence on Maduro’s position. The combination of the internal source’s reporting and aerial surveillance helped US planners time and execute the move that resulted in his capture.
Context of US outreach
The involvement of a local agent and use of classified surveillance tools underscores the depth of US intelligence efforts in Venezuela, part of a broader strategy to pressure Maduro’s government. Administration officials have earlier disclosed that the CIA received expanded covert authority to operate inside Venezuela.
Read more: Colombia was “aware of potential plans” to abduct Maduro: CNN
Legal and diplomatic implications
The use of a Venezuelan insider working with US intelligence may have repercussions for Caracas’s internal security structures and raise questions about foreign influence within Maduro’s administration. Venezuelan officials have not publicly addressed the New York Times account.
The unfolding developments follow US military action that led to Maduro’s capture and transfer out of Venezuela for prosecution in US federal court.
