John Ratcliffe, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, has emerged as a central figure in a dramatic reshaping of U.S. intelligence operations across Latin America. In a closed-door briefing to Congress earlier this month, Ratcliffe revealed that foreign intelligence collection focused on Latin America has increased by roughly fifty-one percent during his tenure, with the number of human sources rising by sixty-one percent. These figures underscore a significant strategic pivot that places the hemisphere back at the center of American intelligence priorities after years of relative neglect.
The most striking demonstration of this new approach came with a covert CIA operation in Venezuela conducted earlier this month. According to officials briefed on the operation, Ratcliffe's agency carried out sabotage missions inside Venezuela, clearing the path for a U.S. military strike force to enter the country and seize President Nicolas Maduro. The clandestine work ensured American forces could move swiftly and safely through hostile terrain. The operation was particularly ambitious given that the United States has no diplomatic relations with Venezuela and its embassy remains closed, meaning CIA operatives worked without the traditional diplomatic cover that typically protects intelligence officers abroad.
Ratcliffe oversaw months of preparation for the Venezuela mission, during which CIA teams monitored Maduro's movements, recruited individuals capable of relaying information from within his inner circle, and provided real-time intelligence to U.S. military commanders before and during the raid. Additionally, ten days before U.S. forces seized Maduro, the CIA carried out a strike on a dock where members of a Venezuelan gang were reportedly loading drugs onto boats, an action authorized by President Donald Trump as part of the broader effort to destabilize hostile networks.
Following Maduro's capture, Ratcliffe met with Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas on January fifteenth to discuss security issues and possible economic cooperation. According to a U.S. official, the purpose of the meeting was to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship.
This expanded focus on Latin America reflects Ratcliffe's philosophy of returning to classic tradecraft, emphasizing more spies, more human sources, and a willingness to conduct covert action rather than rely solely on satellites and intercepts. His coordination with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has tightened the bond between intelligence and military leadership heading into an era of rapid crises.
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