US President Donald Trump has said the United States carried out a strike on what he described as a “dock area” linked to alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling operations, marking a possible escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Venezuela.
Speaking to reporters, Trump claimed there had been a “major explosion” at the site, which he said was used to load boats with drugs. He did not provide details on the location of the dock or the timing of the strike. Venezuela’s government has so far not issued any response.
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According to multiple reports, the explosion was caused by a drone strike allegedly carried out by the CIA, citing sources familiar with the matter. If confirmed, this would be the first known US operation conducted inside Venezuelan territory.
No official confirmation, growing tensions
As per a BBC report, when asked directly whether the CIA was behind the strike, Trump declined to confirm. “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was,” he said. The Pentagon referred all questions to the White House, which has not issued an official statement.
There has been no reporting of the incident in Venezuelan state-run media, and no images or videos of the alleged dock strike have been released. This contrasts with previous US strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats, where the Pentagon shared footage online.
Trump has previously accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading what Washington calls a “narco-terrorist” network, an allegation Caracas has consistently denied. Maduro has accused the US of using the “war on drugs” as a pretext to undermine his government.
Since September, US forces have carried out around 30 strikes on vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean that Washington claims were involved in drug trafficking, killing more than 100 people, according to US officials. However, the US has not presented evidence publicly to support claims that the boats were carrying drugs.
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Experts note that fentanyl is primarily produced in Mexico and typically enters the US by land, and that Venezuela mainly functions as a transit point rather than a major producer in the global drug trade.
The Trump administration has also increased military deployments in the Caribbean, seized Venezuelan oil tankers and imposed a naval blockade on sanctioned vessels, moves Caracas has described as “piracy.”
