Trump Announces US' First Land Strike Targeting Venezuela's Drug Loading Site

Last Updated:December 30, 2025, 08:56 IST

Donald Trump declined to say whether the US military or the CIA carried out the strike, or to confirm that it took place inside Venezuela.

US President Donald Trump (File photo)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that the United States carried out its first land strike in Venezuela, adding that the US forces hit a dock facility used to load boats allegedly carrying drugs.

Trump’s remarks came after first hinting at the operation during a radio interview last week. He further expanded his comments on Monday while meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

“There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," Trump said, adding, “They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats and now we hit the area."

This marks the start of US’s operations on Venezuelan soil since the Trump administration launched an aggressive campaign against drug trafficking networks. Until now, US strikes had focused on boats in international waters in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

However, Trump declined to say whether the US military or the CIA carried out the strike, or to confirm that it took place inside Venezuela. “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was," he said. “But you know it was along the shore."

No Official Word From Venezuelan Govt

Venezuela’s government has yet to speak on the matter. No US military or defence officials have publicly announced a strike on a land-based facility, despite previous boat strikes typically being acknowledged on social media, the Associated Press reported.

Trump has repeatedly suggested in recent months that the US would expand its operations beyond the sea. In October, he confirmed authorising the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the US has increased its military presence in the region, deployed warships, seized oil tankers.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused Washington of using the anti-drug campaign as a pretext to destabilise his government and force him from power. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in an interview published this month that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro ‘cries uncle.'"

News world Trump Announces US' First Land Strike Targeting Venezuela's Drug Loading Site

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