🔗 Share this article US Military Struck a 'Major Plant' in the Venezuelan nation, President Trump Claimed Without Providing Details. Former President Trump has asserted that US military assets hit a "major plant" in Venezuela recently. However, the ex-leader offered no details on the precise nature or location of the target, and there has been no additional comment from his team. Unspecific Comments Made In a Talk Interview "We just destroyed – I'm not sure if you heard – they have a big plant, where the vessels depart from. Two nights ago, we took it out. So we hit them with significant force," Trump reportedly informed Republican donor and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Potential Significance of a Confirmed Attack Should a American strike were to be verified, it would constitute the first land strike since the US Department of Defense began a buildup of American military presence in the region to disrupt drug traffickers that the Trump administration asserts operate under the authority of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This stated purpose of the military buildup has transformed into a blockade aimed at stopping the nation's oil exports. Social Media Video and Administration Statements Trump has for weeks stated that US forces are ready to escalate the operations by hitting targets within Venezuela, a strategy that would theoretically require congressional approval. Video footage posted online on 24 December seemed to depict an detonation allegedly from an industrial zone in Zulia state. However, the footage or the facility has not been corroborated. An official from Trump's team reportedly told a news network that the president was describing a narco-trafficking site in his comments. Reaction and Current Military Situation The Maduro government has issued no statement on the incident Trump described. Furthermore, there have been no verified accounts from Venezuela concerning it. The presence of American forces in the region – a stance some have referred to as a sea blockade – constitutes the largest naval operation of Trump's presidency. Officials have avoided from labeling the operation as a full blockade, but have confirmed that about 15,000 troops are stationed across the Caribbean and the Gulf, including a aircraft carrier group, advanced fighter jets, and law enforcement vessels to implement current sanctions.