WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has authorized the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, a move that was decried by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump accused Caracas of releasing prisoners and mental patients to illegally cross into the United States and of smuggling large volumes of narcotics.

"They have emptied their prisons into the US of America" and "allowed thousands and thousands of prisoners" and "people from mental institutions, insane asylums," Trump accused, without offering evidence.

Asked whether he had authorized the CIA to kill Maduro, Trump refused to answer, saying, "I think Venezuela is feeling heat."

Trump added that his administration is considering strikes against Venezuela on land. "We are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control," he said.

Shortly after Trump's comments, Maduro decried what he called "coups d'etat orchestrated by the CIA," according to media reports.

According to the New York Times (NYT), the new authorization allows the CIA to conduct lethal missions in Venezuela and the Caribbean, as well as to coordinate with broader US military operations in the region.

Officials with the Trump administration "have been clear, privately, that the end goal is to drive Mr. Maduro from power," reported the NYT, adding that roughly 10,000 US troops, eight warships, and one submarine are currently deployed in the Caribbean, mostly based in Puerto Rico.

ALSO READ: Trump says US strike on vessel near Venezuelan coast killed six

Since September, the White House has announced five US strikes that destroyed five alleged drug-trafficking boats in the international waters near Venezuela, killing 27 people aboard in total.

Earlier this month, the White House informed Congress that the US is engaged in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels designated as terrorist groups, without naming them.

While some cocaine leaves South America through Venezuela, the country is not a main source of US-bound drugs, according to a 2020 report from the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Maduro has repeatedly condemned Washington's actions as an attempt at regime change and military expansion in Latin America.

Historically, the CIA has been notoriously involved in numerous coups and covert operations across Latin America.

Mainland urges US to stop sending wrong signals to 'Taiwan independence' separatists

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday urged the US to stop interfering in China's internal affairs and stop sending wrong signals to separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence."

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to the new National Defense Authorization Act that was recently passed by the US Senate, which allocates 1 billion dollars of military aid for Taiwan and seeks to invite the island to participate in a military exercise.

READ MORE: Mainland urges Taiwan people to reject Lai's secessionist remarks

"The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and brooks no external interference. We firmly oppose the inclusion of Taiwan-related content in relevant bills of the US Congress, and we firmly oppose any form of military contact between the US and China's Taiwan," said Chen.

When answering a media query about the inclusion of three US firms on China's unreliable entity list, Chen said these companies, in disregard of strong opposition from China, have engaged in so-called military technology cooperation with Taiwan, seriously undermining China's national sovereignty, security and development interests.

"We firmly oppose such actions and hold these companies accountable in accordance with the law," Chen said.