American Forces Strike Inside Venezuela in Major New Operation (Video)

In this 7 November 2026 published video, host Mike Baker talks with Rick De La Torre, former CIA Caracas Chief, and David Daoud, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.   

A deadly U.S. drone strike inside Venezuela signals growing cooperation between Washington and the Delcy Rodríguez government, as opposition leader María Corina Machado returns to challenge the interim president. Retired CIA operations officer and former Caracas Station Chief Rick de la Torre joins us to examine the shifting political landscape. 

On Friday, October 30, 2026, U.S. intelligence and drone assets targeted a camp belonging to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a left-wing Colombian guerrilla group. The bombed facility, located in the remote jungle of Venezuela’s Apure region near the Colombian border, was known to be a prominent hub for cocaine distribution. 

The drone strike hit an ELN camp and cocaine distribution hub in the Apure region near the Colombian border. Human rights organization Fundaredes and U.S. officials reported that at least 23 to over 25 ELN fighters were killed and many others injured. The operation reflects a major shift in Venezuelan policy following the U.S. capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. The strike was carried out with the cooperation of Venezuela’s current leadership (under Delcy Rodríguez). This follows a pattern of increasing U.S. military enmeshment in Venezuela, including a June 2026 joint strike that killed a leader of the Tren de Aragua gang and reports that the Trump administration is exploring a long-term U.S. military presence in the country. 

The U.S. military provided intelligence and drone support for a joint strike inside Venezuela that killed more than two dozen fighters from the Colombian National Liberation Army (ELN). Details emerged regarding a major joint military operation inside Venezuela, signaling a profound shift in geopolitical dynamics following the January 2026 U.S. intervention (“Operation Absolute Resolve”) that ousted Nicolás Maduro. The latest development involves U.S. military drones conducting a deadly airstrike against a Colombian guerrilla camp inside Venezuela, carried out with the direct cooperation of the interim Venezuelan government led by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. 

For decades under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, the ELN and other irregular armed groups enjoyed safe passage and sanctuary within Venezuela, using it as a secure base to launch attacks against Colombia and manage illicit profits. This joint operation underscores a monumental pivot: the current Venezuelan administration under Delcy Rodríguez is actively cooperating with Washington to purge these groups.

The drone strike hit an ELN camp and cocaine distribution hub in the Apure region near the Colombian border. Human rights organization Fundaredes and U.S. officials reported that at least 23 to over 25 ELN fighters were killed and many others injured. The operation reflects a major shift in Venezuelan policy following the U.S. capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. The strike was carried out with the cooperation of Venezuela’s current leadership (under Delcy Rodríguez). This follows a pattern of increasing U.S. military enmeshment in Venezuela, including a June 2026 joint strike that killed a leader of the Tren de Aragua gang and reports that the Trump administration is exploring a long-term U.S. military presence in the country. 

The strike marks an escalation in the Trump administration’s militarized anti-narcotics strategy in Latin America. Reports indicate that Washington and Caracas are currently negotiating a formal agreement that could establish a long-term U.S. military presence and allow joint military operations on Venezuelan soil.  The operation coincides with a tense internal political climate. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned from exile, introducing fresh pressure on the Rodríguez regime to establish a path toward democratic elections. The operation coincides with a tense internal political climate. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned from exile, introducing fresh pressure on the Rodríguez regime to establish a path toward democratic elections.

https://youtu.be/EhKoQb2gRlQ