In a development signaling an escalation in the U.S. administration's approach to countering drug trafficking near Venezuela, President Donald Trump has indicated that an attack was carried out on a dockside facility associated with the loading of narcotics onto vessels. While details concerning the operation were limited and the precise geographic location remains unspecified, the president described the site as an "implementation area" where boats prepare to transport drugs. This confirmation emerged amid ongoing operations targeting maritime narcotics smuggling routes in the Caribbean and Pacific regions.
During a meeting in Florida with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump noted, "There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs. We hit all the boats and now we hit the area. It's the implementation area. There's where they implement. And that is no longer around." This statement reflects a broadening of U.S. activity from maritime interdictions toward striking shore facilities associated with drug logistics.
Despite these acknowledgments, Trump refrained from specifying whether the operation was conducted by the U.S. military, the Central Intelligence Agency, or another entity. Neither did he confirm that the operation took place within Venezuelan territory, only mentioning that it was "along the shore" and refusing to identify the exact target or location.
The president initially brought up the strike during a radio interview Friday with John Catsimatidis on WABC, describing the facility as "a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from," adding, "Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So, we hit them very hard." However, no further information was provided at that time.
This indication of an attack on land infrastructure coincides with a series of U.S. strikes on boats suspected of narcotics trafficking, which have resulted in at least 105 fatalities over 29 known instances since early September. Historically, these boat strikes have been publicized through announcements by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or military social media channels, yet no confirmation or public acknowledgment has yet surfaced concerning a strike on any land-based facility.
Questions directed to the Department of Defense were redirected to the White House, which had not responded by Monday, and Venezuela's government press office also did not issue immediate comments on the matter. President Trump has for months suggested the possibility of extending military action beyond maritime strikes to include land-based operations, either in Venezuela or neighboring countries, with recent remarks signaling that such actions would be forthcoming.
In October, the president affirmed that he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations within Venezuela, though the agency has not responded to recent inquiries. Concurrently, the U.S. has reinforced its naval presence in the region, deploying warships and detaining oil tankers, all within the framework of what the administration describes as an "armed conflict" with drug cartels to stem narcotics flow into the United States.
On the Venezuelan side, President Nicolás Maduro has characterized U.S. military activities as efforts aimed at regime change rather than solely anti-drug measures. Additionally, statements from the White House, including one from Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, underscore a sustained U.S. campaign intent on dismantling narcotics operations through military pressure, including persistent targeting of smuggling vessels until the Venezuelan administration complies.