🔗 Share this article American Military Targeted a 'Major Complex' in Venezuela, Trump Asserted Without Offering Details. Ex-President Trump has claimed that US forces targeted a "large facility" in Venezuela last week. But, the ex-leader did not specify the precise nature or site of the strike, and there has been no further comment from his camp. Vague Remarks Made In a Talk Show "We just knocked out – I'm not sure if you saw – they have a big plant, where the ships come from. Recently, we took it out. So we targeted them with significant force," Trump allegedly informed Republican donor and businessman John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Potential Implications of a Confirmed Attack If a US military action is verified, it would mark the initial land strike since the US Department of Defense initiated a buildup of American military presence in the region to halt narco-trafficking operations that the former administration asserts operate under the authority of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This stated mission of the force deployment has transformed into a quarantine aimed at stopping the nation's crude oil shipments. Social Media Footage and Administration Claims Trump has for weeks warned that American military units are ready to widen the operations by hitting targets inside Venezuela, a strategy that would in theory require congressional authorization. Video footage circulated online on 24 December seemed to depict an blast reportedly from an industrial zone in Zulia state. However, the video or the facility has not been independently verified. An administration official allegedly told a news network that the former president was describing a drug facility in his comments. Response and Current Strategic Posture The Venezuelan government has remained silent on the event Trump described. Furthermore, there have been no verified accounts from Venezuela concerning it. The presence of American forces in the region – a posture some have referred to as a sea blockade – represents the largest naval operation of his time in office. Officials have avoided from labeling the operation as a blockade, but have stated that approximately 15,000 personnel are stationed across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, including a carrier strike group, advanced fighter jets, and law enforcement vessels to enforce current sanctions.