In a significant escalation of its campaign against narcotics trafficking, the United States has conducted a military strike targeting a coastal facility in Venezuela, as confirmed by President Donald Trump during his recent public appearances. The operation marks a dramatic shift from previous interdiction efforts focused on maritime interception to direct attacks on mainland infrastructure.
Speaking spontaneously during a radio interview with host John Catsimatidis on Friday, followed by additional comments during his Monday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida, Trump revealed details of the offensive action. “We’ve struck all the boats and now the area itself,” the president stated, referencing a “major explosion in the port area where they load drugs onto boats.”
The targeted facility, described by Trump as a major processing or launch point for drug shipments, was reportedly destroyed in an operation conducted two nights prior to his comments. While refusing to confirm whether U.S. military forces or CIA operatives executed the strike, Trump asserted, “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say. But it was along the coast.”
This development represents a substantial intensification of Washington’s pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government. Since September, American forces have conducted at least 29 known attacks on suspected drug smuggling vessels in international waters of the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in over 105 casualties.
The Pentagon has deferred all inquiries regarding the operation to the White House, which has not issued an official statement. Venezuelan authorities similarly remained silent on Trump’s claims.
The Trump administration has increasingly characterized its anti-narcotics efforts as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, deploying warships, bolstering military presence throughout the region, and seizing multiple oil tankers. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently indicated that Trump intends to continue “blowing up boats until Maduro gives up,” while Maduro perceives these actions as attempts to forcibly remove him from power.
Background context reveals that Trump confirmed in early October that he had authorized CIA covert operations in Venezuela, suggesting the potential for further mainland attacks in South America as part of the administration’s comprehensive strategy to stem the flow of illicit substances into the United States.