Former President Donald Trump has claimed that US forces targeted a "large installation" in Venezuela last week. But, the ex-leader withheld information about the exact nature or location of the target, and officials have issued no additional comment from his team.
Unspecific Comments Made During a Talk Interview
"We just destroyed – I don't know if you saw – they have a big plant, where the vessels come from. Recently, we destroyed it. So we hit them decisively," Trump reportedly told Republican donor and businessman John Catsimatidis on Friday.
Potential Significance of a Verified Attack
If a American military action were to be verified, it would represent the first attack on Venezuelan soil since the US Department of Defense began a expansion of US strike forces in the region to disrupt narco-trafficking operations that the former administration alleges operate under the direction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The initial objective of the force deployment has transformed into a blockade aimed at stopping the nation's oil exports.
Online Video and Official Claims
Trump has for weeks stated that American military units are ready to widen the military campaign by hitting objectives within Venezuela, a move that would theoretically require congressional approval.
Online video posted on social media on 24 December seemed to depict an blast reportedly from an industrial area in Zulia state. But, the video or the facility has not been independently verified.
An source reportedly informed a media outlet that the president was describing a drug facility in his remarks.
Reaction and Ongoing Military Posture
The Maduro government has not commented on the incident the former president described. Additionally, there have been no corroborating news from Venezuela about it.
The buildup of US military in the region – a stance some have called a naval quarantine – constitutes the largest maritime enforcement action of his time in office.
Administration officials have avoided from calling the operation as a full blockade, but have stated that approximately 15,000 troops are positioned across the Caribbean and the Gulf, including a aircraft carrier group, F-35 aircraft, and law enforcement vessels to enforce existing sanctions.
