Trump Claims US Struck ‘Major Facility’ Connected to Alleged Venezuelan Drug Operations

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed reporters regarding a recent US strike on a site reportedly linked to Venezuelan drug trafficking activities.

During a press briefing, Trump stated that the United States carried out an operation targeting a “dock area” where, according to him, illicit drug shipments are loaded onto boats. The president confirmed that the strike resulted in a “major explosion,” but he did not provide the exact location of the dock. As of now, the Venezuelan government has not issued any official statement regarding the incident.

Details on the Drone Strike

Multiple media outlets, including CNN and The New York Times, reported, citing anonymous sources close to the matter, that the explosion was caused by a CIA-operated drone strike. If verified, this would mark the first publicly known US military operation conducted inside Venezuelan territory.

Since September, the United States has intensified operations targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean regions, reportedly striking over 20 boats and resulting in at least 100 casualties.

The latest strike occurred on Monday, with the US Southern Command posting on social media that two individuals labeled as “narco-terrorists” were killed in a “lethal kinetic strike” in the eastern Pacific.

Trump’s Approach Toward Venezuela

President Trump has consistently maintained a hardline stance on Venezuela, previously threatening land strikes and authorizing covert operations by the CIA against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro.

When asked about the CIA’s involvement in the recent attack, Trump responded:

“I don’t want to say that. I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was.”

He further explained:

“We hit all the boats, and now we hit the area… it’s the implementation area. That’s where they implement, and that is no longer around.”

This marks the second time Trump has publicly referenced the strike on the dock facility. Last week, in a radio interview, he spoke about an operation targeting a “big facility” but provided minimal details.

Official Statements and Confirmation

The Pentagon has directed questions regarding the operation to the White House, which has not yet released a formal statement. In previous operations targeting drug trafficking vessels, the Pentagon shared images and videos via social media to confirm the strikes. So far, there are no publicly available visuals or confirmations regarding the dock incident.

The escalation underscores the US administration’s continued efforts to curb drug trafficking from Venezuela, highlighting both the covert and overt strategies employed.