U.S. Strike Demolishes "Big Facility" in Venezuela, Says Trump
Trump initially disclosed the operation Friday during an interview, stating, "We just knocked out… a big plant or big facility where the ships come from. So we hit them very hard."
During Monday remarks at Mar-a-Lago alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump characterized the target as an "implementation" site purportedly connected to narcotics smuggling operations.
"There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," he said.
Critical operational details remain undisclosed. The precise facility location, strike methodology, extent of destruction, and potential casualties have not been confirmed. The Pentagon and US Southern Command redirected inquiries to the White House, which has provided no official statement.
Trump has previously suggested the US might execute terrestrial strikes within Venezuela and has greenlit clandestine CIA missions inside the country as components of an intensified pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduro. The US president declined to confirm CIA participation in the recent operation.
"I don't want to say that," Trump said. "I know exactly who it was, but I don't want to say who it was. But you know, it was along the shore."
Venezuela's government has not publicly addressed the alleged bombardment. Caracas has consistently rejected accusations of narcotics trafficking involvement, arguing the claims are manufactured to legitimize regime-change initiatives.
The strike follows months of mounting hostilities between Washington and Caracas, with US military forces attacking at least 30 suspected drug-running vessels since early September, producing at least 107 fatalities. The US has expanded its military footprint throughout the Caribbean, deploying 15,000 troops and multiple naval warships across the region.
Washington has additionally commandeered several tankers transporting Venezuelan petroleum in international waters, asserting the ships violated Washington's unilateral sanctions regime. Caracas authorities have condemned the seizures as "piracy," while accusing Trump of attempting to seize control of the nation's hydrocarbon reserves.
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