Yasin Gungor
29 December 2025•Update: 29 December 2025
ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that a recent US strike hit a Venezuelan dock area allegedly used to load boats with drugs, causing a “major explosion” and leaving the site no longer operational.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the target was a coastal facility where narcotics were prepared for maritime transport.
"We hit all the boats, and now we hit the area," he said, calling it an "implementation area" that "is no longer around."
Trump did not specify which US agency carried out the attack, saying only that he knew who was responsible but did not want to disclose it. He added that the location was “along the shore.”
Asked whether he had spoken recently with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump said he had spoken with him “pretty recently” but added that “nothing much comes of it.”
Caracas has not commented on either the call or the alleged strike.
Trump had earlier mentioned the operation during a radio interview on Friday, saying the US hit “a big plant or a big facility” linked to alleged drug trafficking, without naming the location or providing any details.
The remarks come as the US has intensified military operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September, citing efforts against narcotics trafficking. At least 105 people have been killed in 29 strikes.
The campaign coincides with broader US pressure on Venezuela, including oil tanker blockades, vessel seizures, and a heightened military presence near Venezuelan waters. Venezuela has condemned the actions as “international piracy.”
