🔗 Share this article

Former President Trump has asserted that US forces struck a "large installation" in Venezuela last week. However, the ex-leader did not specify the precise nature or location of the strike, and officials have issued no further clarification from his team.

Unspecific Remarks Made During a Talk Show

"US forces just knocked out – I don't know if you heard – they have a large facility, where the ships depart from. The other night, we knocked that out. So we struck them very hard," Trump allegedly informed Republican donor and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis in a recent interview.

Potential Implications of a Verified Strike

Should a American strike were to be verified, it would constitute the initial attack on Venezuelan soil since the Pentagon initiated a buildup of US strike forces in the Caribbean region to halt drug traffickers that the former administration alleges operate under the orders of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

This original mission of the force deployment has transformed into a blockade aimed at hindering the country's oil exports.

Online Video and Administration Statements

Trump has for weeks indicated that US forces are prepared to escalate the operations by attacking targets within Venezuela, a move that would in theory require congressional approval.

A clip circulated online on 24 December appeared to show an blast reportedly from an industrial area in a Venezuelan state. But, the video or the facility has not been independently verified.

An official from Trump's team reportedly informed a news network that the former president was describing a drug facility in his remarks.

Reaction and Current Military Posture

The Caracas administration has not commented on the alleged strike the former president referenced. Additionally, there have been no verified accounts from Venezuela about it.

The presence of US military in the region – a position certain officials have termed a sea blockade – represents the largest naval operation of his time in office.

Sources have stopped short from calling the action as a blockade, but have confirmed that approximately 15,000 troops are positioned across the Caribbean and the Gulf, including a carrier strike group, F-35 aircraft, and law enforcement vessels to implement current sanctions.