Trump Confirms US Strike on Venezuelan Coast Target (Video)

PALM BEACH, FL — Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday, President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States successfully “hit” a strategic coastal facility in Venezuela, leading to a massive explosion that has reportedly rendered the site inoperable. The President’s announcement marks a significant escalation in the administration’s ongoing maritime pressure campaign, appearing to be the first confirmed U.S. strike on Venezuelan soil during his second term.

“The Implementation Area is No Longer Around”

Addressing reporters ahead of a scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the President described the target as a “big facility” used by narcotics traffickers to load vessels bound for the United States.

“There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” Trump stated. “We hit all the boats, and now we hit the area… It’s the implementation area. That is no longer around.”

While the President remained tight-lipped regarding which specific agency carried out the operation—refusing to clarify if it was a U.S. military strike or a covert CIA action—he emphasized that he knew “exactly who it was.” This follows his confirmation in October that he had authorized the CIA to conduct certain covert operations within the country to combat drug trafficking and address the regional migrant crisis.

Regional Impact and Ambiguity

The precise location of the explosion remains unconfirmed by official Pentagon channels, though unverified social media reports from late December suggested a significant blast near the industrial zone of San Francisco in Zulia state. Venezuelan state-owned media and the government of Nicolás Maduro have yet to issue a formal response to the President’s claims.

The strike is the latest in a series of aggressive maneuvers by the Trump administration, which has maintained a heavy naval presence in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Since September, the U.S. has targeted over two dozen vessels suspected of ferrying narcotics, a campaign the administration frames as a necessary measure against criminal organizations and the Maduro government.

Escalation of a “Maritime Quarantine”

Critics and international observers have raised questions regarding the legality of land-based strikes under international law, especially given the lack of a formal declaration of war. However, the White House has characterized its regional posture as a “maritime quarantine,” deploying approximately 15,000 personnel, carrier strike groups, and F-35s to enforce existing sanctions and disrupt the “shadow fleet” of tankers exporting Venezuelan oil.

When asked about his communication with Maduro, Trump noted he had spoken with the Venezuelan leader “pretty recently,” though he dismissed the utility of the talks, saying “nothing much comes of it.” As the administration moves beyond striking boats to hitting land-based targets, the international community remains on high alert for further escalations in South America.

Mainstream Sources and Links

• CBS News: Trump says U.S. “knocked out” a “big facility” linked to alleged drug boats
• The Guardian: US struck ‘big facility’ in Venezuela, Trump claimed without offering details
• PBS NewsHour: Trump says U.S. ‘hit’ a facility along shore where alleged drug boats ‘load up’
• Anadolu Agency: Trump says US strike destroyed alleged Venezuelan drug-loading dock
• Times of India: ‘Major explosion in dock area’: US hits drug boat loading facility in Venezuela