🔗 Share this article US Military Struck a 'Major Plant' in Venezuela, President Trump Asserted Lacking Providing Details. Former President Donald Trump has stated that American forces hit a "large installation" in the South American country in recent days. However, the ex-leader offered no details on the precise purpose or site of the target, and officials have issued no further clarification from his administration. Unspecific Comments Made In a Radio Interview "US forces just knocked out – I'm not sure if you read – they have a major complex, where the vessels depart from. The other night, we destroyed it. So we hit them very hard," Trump reportedly informed GOP supporter and businessman John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Potential Significance of a Confirmed Attack Should a American strike is confirmed, it would constitute the first attack on Venezuelan soil since the US Department of Defense initiated a increase of American military presence in the region to disrupt narco-trafficking operations that the former administration alleges operate under the direction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This stated purpose of the military buildup has since morphed into a blockade aimed at hindering the country's oil exports. Online Footage and Official Statements Trump has for some time stated that American military units are poised to widen the military campaign by striking objectives within Venezuela, a strategy that would in theory require congressional approval. Online video circulated on social media on 24 December seemed to depict an detonation reportedly from an industrial zone in Zulia state. But, the video or the site in question has not been independently verified. An administration official reportedly informed a news network that the former president was describing a narco-trafficking site in his comments. Reaction and Ongoing Military Posture The Caracas administration has remained silent on the alleged strike the former president described. Additionally, there have been no verified accounts from within the country concerning it. The buildup of American forces in the region – a position some have termed a sea blockade – represents the broadest maritime enforcement action of the Trump era. Administration officials have refrained from labeling the operation as a full blockade, but have stated that approximately 15,000 service members are deployed across the Caribbean and the Gulf, including a aircraft carrier group, F-35 aircraft, and law enforcement vessels to enforce existing sanctions.