🔗 Share this article US Forces Struck a 'Big Plant' in Venezuela, President Trump Claimed Without Offering Specifics. Ex-President Donald Trump has asserted that US military assets targeted a "major plant" in the South American country last week. However, the former president offered no details on the precise nature or site of the strike, and there has been no further clarification from his camp. Vague Comments Made In a Talk Interview "US forces just eliminated – I'm not sure if you read – they have a major complex, where the vessels originate. Recently, we knocked that out. So we targeted them decisively," Trump allegedly informed GOP supporter and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Potential Implications of a Verified Attack Should a US military action is confirmed, it would represent the initial land strike since the Pentagon initiated a buildup of American strike forces in the Caribbean region to halt narco-trafficking operations that the Trump administration alleges operate under the orders of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. This initial objective of the force deployment has transformed into a blockade aimed at disrupting the country's crude oil shipments. Social Media Video and Administration Claims Trump has for weeks indicated that US forces are ready to escalate the operations by hitting targets within Venezuela, a move 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 footage or the site in question has not been corroborated. An source allegedly told a news network that the president was describing a narco-trafficking site in his remarks. Response and Ongoing Military Situation The Venezuelan government has not commented on the incident Trump referenced. Additionally, there have been no corroborating news from within the country regarding it. The presence of American forces in the region – a position certain officials have termed a naval quarantine – represents the broadest naval operation of the Trump era. Sources have stopped short from calling the action as a blockade, but have stated that around 15,000 personnel are positioned across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, including a carrier strike group, F-35 aircraft, and Coast Guard cutters to enforce existing economic sanctions.