Trump: US Hits Key Venezuelan Site

By Staff, Agencies

President Donald Trump has stated that US forces destroyed a “big facility” along the shore of Venezuela, marking what appears to be the first known land strike by the US within the country.

On Friday, Trump first mentioned the US military action in an interview on WABC radio, saying, “We just knocked out… a big plant or big facility where the ships come from. So we hit them very hard.”

Speaking at Mar-a-Lago alongside "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Trump described the target as an “implementation” area allegedly linked to drug trafficking.

“There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” he said.

Details surrounding the operation remain scarce. The location of the facility, method of attack, inflicted damage, and possible casualties are all currently unknown. The Pentagon and US Southern Command have deferred questions to the White House, which has not yet issued a comment.

Trump has hinted at possible US land strikes in Venezuela and authorized covert CIA operations to pressure President Nicolas Maduro, though he refused to confirm CIA involvement in the latest strike, saying, “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was. But you know, it was along the shore.”

The Venezuelan government has yet to publicly acknowledge the purported attack. Caracas has repeatedly denied that it is involved in drug trafficking, saying the allegations are being fabricated to justify a regime-change operation.

Amid rising tensions with Venezuela, the US has struck at least 30 alleged drug boats, killing 107, deployed 15,000 troops and warships in the Caribbean, and seized several oil tankers, prompting Caracas to denounce the actions as “piracy” and accuse Trump of seeking control over its oil reserves.