🔗 Share this article US Military Struck a 'Big Facility' in Venezuela, President Trump Asserted Lacking Offering Specifics. Ex-President Donald Trump has asserted that US forces targeted a "significant installation" in the South American country recently. But, the former president withheld information about the exact purpose or location of the target, and there has been no additional comment from his administration. Unspecific Comments Offered In a Radio Interview "We just destroyed – I'm not sure if you saw – they have a big plant, where the vessels depart from. The other night, we knocked that out. So we targeted them with significant force," Trump allegedly informed Republican donor and businessman John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Possible Implications of a Confirmed Strike Should a US military action were to be confirmed, it would constitute the first ground target hit since the US Department of Defense began a buildup of US strike forces in the Caribbean region to interdict drug traffickers that the Trump administration asserts operate under the orders of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This original mission of the force deployment has evolved into a quarantine aimed at stopping the country's crude oil shipments. Social Media Footage and Official Statements Trump has for some time warned that American military units are prepared to widen the operations by hitting targets within Venezuela, a tactic that would theoretically require congressional authorization. A clip posted on social media on 24 December appeared to show an blast reportedly from an industrial area in a Venezuelan state. But, the footage or the facility has not been confirmed by third parties. An source reportedly informed a media outlet that the president was referring to a narco-trafficking site in his comments. Reaction and Ongoing Military Situation The Venezuelan government has not commented on the event Trump described. Furthermore, there have been no verified accounts from within the country concerning it. The buildup of American forces in the area – a position certain officials have called a maritime "quarantine" – constitutes the most expansive maritime enforcement action of the Trump era. Sources have refrained from labeling the action as a blockade, but have stated that approximately 15,000 service members are stationed across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, including a aircraft carrier group, F-35 aircraft, and law enforcement vessels to implement current economic sanctions.