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Former President Donald Trump has claimed that American military assets hit a "major installation" in Venezuela in recent days. Yet, the former president did not specify the precise purpose or location of the strike, and officials have issued no further comment from his administration.

Unspecific Remarks Offered In a Radio Show

"US forces just knocked out – I'm not sure if you saw – they have a large facility, where the ships originate. The other night, we took it out. So we struck them very hard," Trump allegedly told Republican donor and businessman John Catsimatidis on Friday.

Possible Significance of a Verified Strike

If a US strike were to be verified, it would represent the initial ground target hit since the US Department of Defense initiated a increase of American military presence in the region to halt drug traffickers that the former administration claims operate under the authority of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

The stated objective of the military buildup has evolved into a quarantine aimed at disrupting the nation's crude oil shipments.

Social Media Video and Administration Claims

Trump has for weeks indicated that American military units are ready to expand the operations by attacking targets inside Venezuela, a strategy that would theoretically require congressional approval.

Online video posted on social media on 24 December purportedly showed an blast allegedly from an industrial zone in Zulia state. However, the video or the site in question has not been independently verified.

An administration official allegedly informed a news network that the former president was referring to a drug facility in his comments.

Response and Current Military Situation

The Venezuelan government has issued no statement on the event Trump described. Additionally, there have been no verified accounts from Venezuela about it.

The buildup of US military in the area – a stance certain officials have referred to as a naval quarantine – represents the broadest maritime enforcement action of Trump's presidency.

Officials have refrained from calling the action as a full blockade, but have stated that about 15,000 personnel are deployed across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, including a aircraft carrier group, advanced fighter jets, and law enforcement vessels to enforce existing sanctions.