Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Dec 30: US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States carried out a strike last week on a dock facility in Venezuela that was allegedly being used by drug traffickers to load narcotics onto boats.

If confirmed, the operation would mark the first publicly known land-based strike by the Trump administration against the oil-rich South American nation, according to a report by Xinhua news agency.

Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump said a “major explosion” destroyed the dock area used for drug shipments. “That’s where they load the boats up with drugs. We hit all the boats, and then we hit the area itself. That implementation area is no longer around,” he said.

The US President did not specify which agency conducted the operation, nor did he provide details on whether the Pentagon or another entity was responsible. Venezuela’s government has so far not issued an official response to the claim.

Meanwhile, CNN reported on Monday night, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a remote port facility along Venezuela’s coast. According to the report, US officials believed the dock was being used by the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua to store drugs and transfer them onto boats for international trafficking.

The sources said the site was unoccupied at the time of the strike and no casualties were reported. US Special Operations Forces were said to have provided intelligence support for the mission.

Trump had earlier hinted at the operation during a radio interview with WABC on Friday, claiming that his administration had destroyed a major facility involved in the drug trade in Venezuela. “Two nights ago, we knocked that out, so we hit them very hard,” he said.

In recent months, the United States has increased its military presence in waters near Venezuela as part of what the White House describes as an anti-narcotics campaign. US officials have said dozens of suspected drug-smuggling boats have been intercepted or sunk in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September.

Venezuela, however, has repeatedly accused Washington of pursuing regime change and expanding its military footprint in Latin America. On Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said his government was open to dialogue with the United States, provided it is based on mutual respect and non-interference.