U.S. Special Operations helicopters spotted near Venezuela

U.S. military helicopters linked to the Pentagon’s elite Special Operations aviation unit were recently seen flying less than 90 miles from Venezuela’s coast, according to The Washington Post. The flights come amid President Donald Trump’s confirmation that he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in the country.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that MH-6 Little Bird and MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were observed over Caribbean waters off the northeast coast of Trinidad during early October training exercises.

A U.S. official told the outlet that the maneuvers were part of training exercises for potential expanded missions against drug traffickers, which could include operations inside Venezuelan territory.

The aircraft are believed to belong to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the “Night Stalkers,” which conducts missions for units such as Navy SEALs, Green Berets, and Delta Force.

President Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he authorized the CIA to take action in Venezuela, though he did not disclose details of the operations.

“I authorized for two things really,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America… and the other thing, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela.”

Trump added that U.S. anti-cartel operations, which have so far focused on maritime targets, will soon expand to land. “A lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea, but we are going to stop them by land also,” he said.

According to The New York Times, the administration has granted the CIA new authority to conduct covert missions in Venezuela, including potential lethal actions against President Nicolás Maduro’s government or its allies.

The U.S. military currently maintains about 10,000 troops in the region along with several warships stationed in the Caribbean.

At least 27 people have been killed in U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels since early September. The most recent operation, confirmed Tuesday, destroyed a vessel off Venezuela’s coast, killing six men whom Trump described as “narcoterrorists.”