WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced in a recent WABC radio interview that the United States had struck a facility linked to drug operations in Venezuela, marking a potential escalation in U.S. military actions against the South American nation.
Trump described the target as a “big plant or big facility” involved in preparing shipments for narcotics trafficking. The president claimed the operation occurred two nights prior to the interview and said it significantly disrupted the suspected drug network.
“We just knocked out — I don’t know if you read or saw — a facility where they send the ships,” Trump said. “Two nights ago we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard.”
The president did not provide additional details about the location or nature of the facility. If confirmed, the strike would be the first known land-based U.S. operation against Venezuela in the context of counternarcotics efforts. NBC News has not independently verified the claim, and the White House did not respond to requests for confirmation.
Background on U.S. Military Pressure
The announcement comes amid months of U.S. military operations targeting vessels in international waters. According to U.S. Southern Command, the U.S. has carried out at least 30 strikes on boats suspected of carrying narcotics since September, resulting in approximately 106 deaths. The military recently reported a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, allegedly operated by designated terrorist organizations, killing two people.
Trump has repeatedly cited drug trafficking as the rationale for these operations. In prior statements, he also referenced Venezuela’s oil exports and alleged releases from Venezuelan prisons as contributing factors for U.S. intervention, although no evidence has been publicly presented.
Rising Tensions with Venezuela
Earlier this month, Trump authorized a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela, and the U.S. seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast. The president has not ruled out further military action and has suggested that his administration’s operations could continue if Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro remains in power.
During the WABC interview, station owner John Catsimatidis noted that a change in Venezuela’s leadership could increase oil exports to the United States. Trump responded that the issue involved multiple factors, including oil, drug trafficking, and other security concerns.
The announcement signals a potential shift in U.S. counternarcotics strategy, from targeting maritime shipments to striking land-based infrastructure. Analysts will be closely monitoring further developments to determine the impact on regional stability and U.S.-Venezuela relations.
