Venezuelan Defense Minister: Every CIA operation against our country will fail

(Patria) - Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino stated that every CIA operation against his country "will fail", after US President Donald Trump approved secret actions against the South American nation, AFP reported.

"We know that the CIA is present" in Venezuela, Padrino said. "It is possible that they will deploy, I don't know how many units associated with the CIA, in secret operations... and every attempt will fail."

Trump said last week that he had approved secret CIA actions against Venezuela and was considering ground attacks on alleged drug cartels.
Padrino oversaw military exercises along Venezuela's coast in response to the deployment of a US naval fleet in the Caribbean.

Washington says these assets are for anti-drug operations, but Caracas believes they are part of an attempt to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.
Nearly forty people have been killed in recent US attacks on ships in the Caribbean, which their governments and loved ones claim were mostly civilians, including fishermen at sea.

Experts have questioned the legality of using lethal force in foreign or international waters against suspects who have not been intercepted or interrogated.

Trump accuses Maduro of running a drug cartel, which the Venezuelan leader denies.