Trump claims US 'knocked out' major facility in Venezuela: 'We hit them very hard'
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: President Donald Trump said on Friday, December 26, that the United States recently destroyed what he described as a "big facility" as part of increased pressure on Venezuela, referencing an operation that has not been publicly detailed by US officials.
Trump made the remarks during an interview on 'The Cats Roundtable', a radio program hosted by John Catsimatidis on 77 WABC radio station.
The president did not provide specific information about the location or function of the site and did not elaborate further during the interview.
Trump claims 'we hit them very hard'
During the broadcast, Trump suggested that the strike targeted infrastructure tied to maritime activity.
"We just knocked out, I don’t know if you read or you saw, they have a big plant, or a big facility, where the ships come from," Trump said. "Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard."
Trump did not identify the facility by name or confirm what or who it was connected to. The White House did not respond to requests for clarification following the interview.
Mystery surrounds the target
No independent confirmation has emerged from Venezuelan authorities or international monitors regarding the destruction of a major facility.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Trump may have been referring to a d**g-related site, but declined to provide details.
US officials have previously said that operations in the region could target d**g production facilities, t******king routes, or logistical infrastructure used by criminal networks.
Trump claims US is 'going after the land'
Trump’s remarks follow earlier statements signaling an expansion of US counter-n****tics operations beyond maritime interdictions.
During a Christmas Eve call with service members aboard the USS Gerald Ford, which has been deployed to the Caribbean, Trump described the region as an "interesting place" and said that the United States would be "going after the land."
If Trump’s timeline is accurate, the alleged strike would have taken place around the same period as that call.
Ratcheting up pressure on Nicolas Maduro
The comments come amid an intensified campaign against Venezuela under Trump’s second term.
US officials have said that the administration has destroyed dozens of vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific as part of counter-n****tics operations.
In addition to overt military actions, the administration has authorized covert efforts aimed at increasing pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, including measures targeting sanctioned oil shipments.
The administration has framed the strategy as part of a broader effort to disrupt d**g t******king networks and weaken Maduro’s control, though details of recent operations remain limited.
