🔗 Share this article US Forces Targeted a 'Large Facility' in Venezuela, President Trump Claimed Lacking Offering Details. Former President Donald Trump has asserted that American military assets hit a "large facility" in Venezuela last week. However, the former president did not specify the precise nature or site of the strike, and officials have issued no further comment from his camp. Unspecific Comments Made During a Radio Interview "We just knocked out – I'm not sure if you read – they have a major complex, where the vessels come from. The other night, we knocked that out. So we struck them decisively," Trump allegedly said to Republican donor and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Possible Significance of a Confirmed Strike If a US strike were to be confirmed, it would mark the first ground target hit since the Pentagon began a buildup of American military presence in the region to disrupt narco-trafficking operations that the Trump administration claims operate under the authority of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This original objective of the force deployment has evolved into a blockade aimed at disrupting the nation's crude oil shipments. Online Footage and Official Statements Trump has for weeks warned that US forces are prepared to escalate the operations by striking objectives within Venezuela, a move that would in theory require congressional approval. Online video circulated on social media on 24 December seemed to depict an explosion reportedly from an industrial area in a Venezuelan state. Yet, the footage or the site in question has not been confirmed by third parties. An administration official allegedly told a news network that the president was referring to a drug facility in his remarks. Response and Ongoing Strategic Posture The Caracas administration has issued no statement on the event the former president described. Additionally, there have been no verified accounts from Venezuela about it. The buildup of American forces in the region – a stance some have called a naval quarantine – constitutes the largest maritime enforcement action of the Trump era. Administration officials have avoided from calling the action as a blockade, but have stated that around 15,000 troops are positioned across the Caribbean and the Gulf, including a carrier strike group, advanced fighter jets, and Coast Guard cutters to enforce existing economic sanctions.