🔗 Share this article American Forces Targeted a 'Large Complex' in Venezuela, President Trump Asserted Lacking Offering Specifics. Ex-President Trump has asserted that US forces hit a "major installation" in Venezuela last week. However, the ex-leader did not specify the precise purpose or site of the strike, and there has been no additional comment from his camp. Unspecific Comments Made During a Radio Interview "We just destroyed – I'm not sure if you saw – they have a big plant, where the ships depart from. Recently, we destroyed it. So we struck them with significant force," Trump reportedly said to GOP supporter and businessman John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Potential Significance of a Confirmed Attack Should a American strike is verified, it would constitute the first ground target hit since the US Department of Defense initiated a buildup of US military presence in the region to interdict narco-trafficking operations that the former administration claims operate under the authority of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. This stated mission of the force deployment has since morphed into a blockade aimed at hindering the country's oil exports. Online Footage and Official Claims Trump has for some time stated that American military units are ready to expand the military campaign by hitting objectives within Venezuela, a move that would theoretically require legislative approval. Video footage circulated online on 24 December seemed to depict an explosion allegedly from an industrial zone in a Venezuelan state. However, the footage or the site in question has not been corroborated. An administration official reportedly told a news network that the former president was describing a drug facility in his comments. Response and Ongoing Military Posture The Maduro government has issued no statement on the event Trump referenced. Additionally, there have been no verified accounts from within the country concerning it. The presence of US military in the region – a posture certain officials have called a sea blockade – constitutes the most expansive maritime enforcement action of the Trump era. Administration officials have stopped short from describing the operation as a blockade, but have confirmed that about 15,000 troops are stationed across the Caribbean and the Gulf, including a aircraft carrier group, F-35 aircraft, and law enforcement vessels to uphold current economic sanctions.