US President Donald Trump threatened military strikes on Venezuelan soil and said he had authorized covert CIA operations within the country, a pointed escalation of tensions between Caracas and Washington.
The US has struck five boats, allegedly smuggling drugs, in the Caribbean in recent weeks.
The new authority would allow the CIA to assassinate people in Venezuela, although Trump would not say whether President Nicolás Maduro would be targeted.
Separately, US B-52 heavy bombers have been observed flying in Venezuelan-controlled airspace, the UK Defence Journal reported.
The Venezuelan leader, who is accused of stealing last year’s election, was further sidelined diplomatically after the country’s main opposition figure María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize last week.