Former President Trump has stated that American forces struck a "major facility" in the South American country last week. However, the former president withheld information about the precise purpose or site of the strike, and there has been no additional comment from his team.
"We just eliminated – I'm not sure if you read – they have a big plant, where the ships originate. The other night, we destroyed it. So we struck them decisively," Trump reportedly informed GOP supporter and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis on Friday.
Should a American strike were to be confirmed, it would constitute the first attack on Venezuelan soil since the US Department of Defense initiated a buildup of American military presence in the Caribbean region to halt drug traffickers that the former administration asserts operate under the direction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The original mission of the military buildup has since morphed into a blockade aimed at disrupting the country's crude oil shipments.
Trump has for weeks stated that American military units are prepared to escalate the military campaign by attacking objectives within Venezuela, a move that would in theory require legislative approval.
Online video posted on social media on 24 December appeared to show an explosion said to be from an industrial zone in a Venezuelan state. Yet, the footage or the facility has not been confirmed by third parties.
An official from Trump's team reportedly told a media outlet that the former president was referring to a drug facility in his remarks.
The Maduro government has issued no statement on the alleged strike the former president referenced. Additionally, there have been no verified accounts from Venezuela concerning it.
The buildup of American forces in the area – a posture some have termed a naval quarantine – marks the largest maritime enforcement action of his time in office.
Administration officials have avoided from calling the operation as a full blockade, but have confirmed that about 15,000 personnel are stationed across the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, including a aircraft carrier group, advanced fighter jets, and law enforcement vessels to enforce existing sanctions.
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Brenda Garcia
Brenda Garcia
Brenda Garcia