President Donald Trump has said the US has carried out a strike on a 'dock area' linked to alleged Venezuelan drug boats.
Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump noted a 'major explosion' where 'they load the boats up with drugs' occurred last week, but did not elaborate on the strike's location or whether US military or CIA were involved.
As of now, the Venezuelan government has yet to respond, and it remains unclear if the strike was inside Venezuelan territory.
Since September, the US has targeted more than 20 vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean linked to drug smuggling, claiming to have killed at least 100 people.
On Monday, US Southern Command reported that two 'narco-terrorists' were killed in a recent operation. Trump has previously hinted at land strikes in the country, pushing against President Nicolás Maduro.
When asked whether the CIA was behind the operation, Trump refrained from disclosing details, saying, 'I know exactly who it was, but I don't want to say who it was.'
Trump's statements indicate a significant motion towards aggressive military tactics against drug trafficking emanating from Venezuela as the US has deployed extensive military resources to combat drug imports.
This latest military engagement reflects a broader campaign against what the Trump administration describes as terrorism linked to drug smuggling into the United States, with a large military presence in the region aimed at halting the flow of fentanyl and cocaine.
The US deployment has been framed as the largest in the region since the Panama invasion in 1989, including significant naval assets like the USS Gerald Ford. This military strategy also aligns with allegations of Venezuelan exploitation of oil revenues to fund drug-related crimes.
Amidst these tensions, Maduro has condemned US actions, calling them piracy and denying being a cartel leader, even suggesting the US is using its 'war on drugs' as a guise for political motives against his administration.
