CIA plans permanent presence in post-Maduro Venezuela to exert U.S. influence

CNN reported on January 27, 2026 that the CIA was quietly building plans for a permanent US intelligence presence inside Venezuela following Nicolás Maduro's detention by US-backed forces earlier in January. US officials said the CIA would likely operate initially out of an annex before an official embassy opened, conducting liaison operations with Venezuelan intelligence and briefing new leadership on threats from China, Russia, and Iran. According to sources, "State plants the flag but CIA is really the influence."