At a Glance
> At a Glance
> – President Trump claims U.S. forces struck a dock facility in Venezuela.
> – The strike is part of a campaign that has killed 105 people in 29 known boat attacks.
> – Trump said the facility was used to load drugs onto boats, but did not confirm the exact agency or location.
> – Why it matters: The statement escalates U.S.-Venezuela tensions and raises questions about covert military operations in a sovereign country.
President Trump announced a new U.S. strike against a Venezuelan dock facility during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. The claim follows a series of covert attacks on drug-smuggling vessels that have killed 105 people in 29 known strikes since early September.
The Claim
Trump said a major explosion occurred in the dock area where boats load up with drugs.
Trump stated:
> “There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” he said.
He added that the U.S. had hit the boats and the implementation area, noting that the site was no longer used.
Trump further said:
> “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was. But you know it was along the shore,” he added.
The president declined to identify whether the U.S. military or the CIA carried out the strike, or to confirm that it occurred in Venezuela.
Background and Context
The U.S. has conducted a series of strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats, primarily in international waters of the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. These operations have resulted in at least 105 fatalities across 29 documented attacks.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Known Strikes | 29 |
| Fatalities | 105 |
| Start Date | Early September |
The Pentagon has not issued a public statement on the latest facility strike, and no X post has announced it. The White House referred questions to its press office, which has not yet responded. Venezuela’s government has also declined to comment.
In October, Trump confirmed authorizing the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in an interview with News Of Fort Worth that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro ‘cries uncle.'”
Key Takeaways
- Trump claims U.S. forces struck a Venezuelan dock facility used for drug loading.
- The strike is part of a broader campaign that has killed 105 people in 29 known attacks.
- No agency or exact location has been confirmed; the White House and Pentagon remain silent.
The announcement heightens tensions between the United States and Venezuela and underscores the ongoing covert operations aimed at disrupting drug trafficking.
