Former US President Donald Trump said the United States carried out a strike on a large facility in Venezuela linked to drug-smuggling operations. The claim suggests a possible escalation in Washington’s pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Speaking publicly, Trump said the target was a dock area where boats were allegedly loaded with drugs. He described a “major explosion” at the site but did not disclose the exact location or provide supporting evidence. Venezuelan authorities have not issued an official response to the remarks.
US media outlets, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that a CIA drone strike caused the blast. If verified, it would represent the first known US strike inside Venezuelan territory. US officials have not independently confirmed the report.
Trump has previously warned that Washington could authorize covert actions or even land-based strikes to increase pressure on Maduro. The US has accused him of leading a drug-linked criminal network, a claim Caracas has repeatedly denied.
So far, Venezuelan state media have not reported any explosion, and no official statement has been released in Caracas. However, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the target was a cocaine-processing facility in the port city of Maracaibo. In a social media post, Petro noted the ELN guerrilla group controlled the site and used it to process coca paste into cocaine.
When asked directly whether the CIA carried out the operation, Trump declined to confirm, saying only that he knew who was responsible but did not want to disclose details. He had previously referenced the incident in a radio interview, again offering limited information.
A confirmed US strike on Venezuelan soil would represent a significant shift in US policy. Washington has already intensified operations against alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Since September, US forces say they have carried out around 30 such strikes, resulting in more than 100 deaths.
The latest reported maritime strike occurred on Monday. US Southern Command said its forces killed two people it labeled “narco-terrorists” in the eastern Pacific.
The US military has not released public evidence that the targeted boats carried drugs. It has also not identified most of those killed. Only two survivors—a Colombian and an Ecuadorian national—have been publicly acknowledged.
Trump suggested that the alleged land strike signaled a new phase in US operations. “We hit all the boats, and now we hit the area,” he said, without clarifying which site he meant. Unlike earlier maritime operations, the Pentagon has not released images or video of the reported dock strike.
US officials have framed the maritime strikes as part of a broader campaign to stop fentanyl and cocaine from reaching the United States. Analysts also point out that Venezuela plays a limited role in global drug production, functioning mainly as a transit route.
Beyond counter-narcotics operations, the US has increased its military presence in the Caribbean and ordered naval actions against sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela. Recently, US forces seized two tankers and pursued another.
The Maduro government condemned the seizures as “piracy.” It accused Washington of using anti-drug operations as a pretext to weaken Venezuela’s leadership and target its oil wealth, the largest proven reserves in the world.
When asked if the tanker seizures aimed to force Maduro from power, Trump said the pressure could have that effect. He added that the outcome ultimately depends on the Venezuelan leader’s response.
