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Former President Trump has asserted that US forces struck a "major installation" in the South American country recently. Yet, the former president withheld information about the exact nature or location of the strike, and there has been no further comment from his camp.

Vague Remarks Offered During a Radio Show

"We just knocked out – I don't know if you heard – they have a major complex, where the ships depart from. The other night, we took it out. So we struck them with significant force," Trump allegedly informed Republican donor and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis on Friday.

Possible Implications of a Confirmed Strike

If a American strike were to be verified, it would represent the first ground target hit since the US Department of Defense initiated a expansion of American strike forces in the Caribbean region to halt narco-trafficking operations that the Trump administration claims operate under the direction of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

This stated mission of the military buildup has since morphed into a quarantine aimed at hindering the country's oil exports.

Social Media Footage and Official Statements

Trump has for some time stated that US forces are prepared to expand the military campaign by attacking targets within Venezuela, a tactic that would theoretically require legislative authorization.

Video footage shared on social media on 24 December seemed to depict an explosion reportedly from an industrial area in Zulia state. But, the video or the site in question has not been corroborated.

An administration official reportedly informed a news network that the president was referring to a narco-trafficking site in his comments.

Response and Current Military Situation

The Maduro government has not commented on the incident the former president referenced. Furthermore, there have been no independent reports from Venezuela regarding it.

The deployment of American forces in the region – a posture certain officials have referred to as a naval quarantine – represents the largest naval operation of his time in office.

Officials have avoided from describing the operation as a blockade, but have stated that about 15,000 personnel are stationed across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, including a aircraft carrier group, F-35 aircraft, and Coast Guard cutters to implement current sanctions.