Washington claims dock strike in Venezuelan waters
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that U.S. forces carried out a strike on a dock in Venezuela, alleging the facility was used to load boats with illegal drugs, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
It is the first land-based strike by U.S. forces in the country since Washington intensified pressure on Caracas four months ago.
Speaking to reporters on Monday during a meeting in Florida with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump referred to an explosion at a dock facility. “There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats with drugs,” he said. “They load the boats with drugs, so we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area. It’s the implementation area. That’s where they implement. And that is no longer around.”
Trump had earlier mentioned the alleged strike during a radio interview on Friday. However, he declined to specify whether the operation was conducted by the U.S. military or the Central Intelligence Agency, nor did he disclose the exact location. “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was. But, you know, it was along the shore,” he said.
The announcement came as the United States military separately reported another strike against what it described as a drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in at least two fatalities.
There was no immediate official response from Venezuelan authorities.
The claim aligns with the Trump administration’s broader campaign to counter alleged drug smuggling operations that the president says are directed toward the United States.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the U.S. Coast Guard pursued a tanker in international waters near Venezuela following a failed interception attempt, reflecting a further escalation of pressure on the country’s oil sector under President Donald Trump.
