The Pentagon has yet to unveil details of the first known land attack
President Donald Trump has declared that US forces destroyed a ‘large facility’ situated along the shore of Venezuela, which seems to be the first documented land-based strike by the US within the nation.
Trump first brought up the US military operation during an interview on WABC radio on Friday, stating, ‘We just took out… a big plant or large facility where ships originate. So we struck them quite heavily.’
On Monday, while speaking at Mar-a-Lago alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump characterized the target as an ‘implementation’ area purportedly connected to drug trafficking.
‘There was a significant explosion in the dock area where they load boats with drugs,’ he stated.
Details regarding the operation are still scanty. The location of the facility, the attack method, any resulting damage, and potential casualties are all currently unknown. Both the Pentagon and US Southern Command have referred questions to the White House, which has not yet made a statement.
Trump had previously hinted at possible land strikes within Venezuela and had authorized covert CIA operations within the country as part of a broader endeavor to exert pressure on President Nicolas Maduro. The US president declined to clarify if the CIA was involved in the most recent strike.
‘I don’t wish to say that,’ Trump stated. ‘I know precisely who was involved, but I don’t want to disclose who it was. But, you know, it was along the shore.’
The Venezuelan government has not yet publicly recognized the alleged attack. Caracas has repeatedly rejected accusations of drug trafficking, claiming that the allegations are being made to justify a regime-change operation.
This action comes after months of escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela, including US military strikes on at least 30 alleged drug trafficking boats since early September, resulting in at least 107 deaths. The US has bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean, with 15,000 troops and several warships deployed in the area.
The US also seized several tankers transporting Venezuelan oil in international waters, asserting that the vessels were operating in violation of Washington’s unilateral sanctions. Authorities in Caracas have condemned the seizures as ‘piracy’ and have accused Trump of aiming to gain control of the country’s oil reserves.