Former President Donald Trump has stated that US military assets struck a "major facility" in the South American country last week. Yet, the ex-leader did not specify the exact nature or site of the strike, and officials have issued no additional comment from his camp.
Unspecific Comments Offered In a Talk Interview
"We just destroyed – I don't know if you heard – they have a big plant, where the vessels originate. Two nights ago, we took it out. So we hit them with significant force," Trump reportedly said to Republican donor and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis on Friday.
Possible Significance of a Confirmed Attack
Should a American military action were to be confirmed, it would represent the first ground target hit since the Pentagon began a buildup of US military presence in the region to interdict narco-trafficking operations that the Trump administration alleges operate under the orders of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The stated objective of the force deployment has transformed into a quarantine aimed at stopping the nation's oil exports.
Online Video and Official Statements
Trump has for some time stated that American military units are poised to expand the military campaign by hitting objectives inside Venezuela, a tactic that would theoretically require legislative approval.
Video footage posted online on 24 December purportedly showed an blast said to be from an industrial area in a Venezuelan state. Yet, the footage or the site in question has not been corroborated.
An administration official reportedly told a media outlet that the president was describing a narco-trafficking site in his comments.
Response and Current Military Situation
The Venezuelan government has issued no statement on the event the former president described. Furthermore, there have been no independent reports from within the country about it.
The buildup of US military in the area – a position some have referred to as a sea blockade – constitutes the largest maritime enforcement action of Trump's presidency.
Sources have refrained from describing the operation as a full blockade, but have acknowledged that about 15,000 personnel are deployed across the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf, including a carrier strike group, advanced fighter jets, and Coast Guard cutters to uphold current sanctions.
