President Donald Trump has stated that the US has conducted a strike targeting a dock area linked to alleged Venezuelan drug boats.
During a press conference in Florida, Trump described a major explosion from the previous week at a location where drugs are loaded onto boats, although he did not disclose the precise location of the dock or specifics about military involvement.
The Venezuelan government has not yet responded, and details regarding whether the strike occurred within Venezuelan territory remain unclear.
The US has previously stated it executed strikes against over 20 vessels believed to be involved in drug smuggling, predominantly originating from Venezuela, resulting in at least 100 fatalities.
The most recent strike occurred on Monday, with US Southern Command reporting the deaths of two narco-terrorists during a lethal kinetic strike in the eastern Pacific.
Trump has a history of threatening military actions against Venezuela, including covert CIA operations, as part of a strategy to exert pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
When asked about CIA involvement in the recent attack, Trump refrained from providing details, stating, I know exactly who it was, but I don't want to say who it was.
He reiterated that the target areas have been effectively neutralized, saying, We hit all the boats, and now we hit the area... it's the implementation area. That's where they implement, and that is no longer around.
This marks the second occasion Trump has referenced the explosion, previously mentioning a US operation against a big facility in a recent radio interview, again providing limited information.
The Pentagon has not commented further and has referred inquiries to the White House, which has not issued a statement regarding the strike.
Traditionally, the Pentagon has shared images and videos on social media confirming such strikes; however, no evidence of this docking incident has been released thus far.
The Trump administration regards the strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific as integral in combating terrorist activities linked to drug trafficking into the US.
The military deployment to the Caribbean includes 15,000 troops and various naval equipment, marking the largest US military presence in the area since the 1989 invasion of Panama. This deployment aims to curtail the flow of fentanyl and cocaine into the US.
Currently included in this fleet is the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier globally, from which US helicopters have recently launched operations.
Venezuela has condemned the seizure of oil tankers, branding it as piracy, while President Maduro has dismissed US allegations of his involvement in drug cartels, asserting that the US aims to depose him and seize Venezuela's natural resources.
Last week, Trump was queried about whether the American actions were aimed at forcing Maduro from power, to which he replied, I think it probably would... That’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it’d be smart for him to do that. But again, we’re gonna find out.
