🔗 Share this article American Military Struck a 'Large Plant' in the Venezuelan nation, President Trump Asserted Without Providing Specifics. Former President Trump has asserted that American military assets struck a "large plant" in the South American country recently. But, the ex-leader withheld information about the precise purpose or location of the target, and officials have issued no additional clarification from his camp. Unspecific Comments Made During a Radio Interview "We just destroyed – I don't know if you read – they have a big plant, where the ships originate. The other night, we knocked that out. So we struck them very hard," Trump reportedly said to GOP supporter and businessman John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Possible Implications of a Confirmed Attack If a US strike were to be confirmed, it would mark the first attack on Venezuelan soil since the US Department of Defense initiated a expansion of US military presence in the Caribbean region to disrupt narco-trafficking operations that the Trump administration alleges operate under the orders of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The original mission of the force deployment has transformed into a blockade aimed at hindering the nation's oil exports. Online Footage and Official Claims Trump has for weeks indicated that American military units are ready to widen the military campaign by striking targets inside Venezuela, a strategy that would in theory require congressional authorization. Online video circulated online on 24 December appeared to show an detonation allegedly from an industrial zone in Zulia state. But, the video or the facility has not been confirmed by third parties. An official from Trump's team allegedly told a media outlet that the former president was describing a narco-trafficking site in his comments. Reaction and Current Strategic Situation The Maduro government has issued no statement on the alleged strike the former president described. Additionally, there have been no verified accounts from within the country concerning it. The deployment of American forces in the region – a posture some have termed a sea blockade – constitutes the broadest maritime enforcement action of his time in office. Officials have avoided from labeling the action as a full blockade, but have confirmed that approximately 15,000 personnel are deployed across the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf, including a aircraft carrier group, F-35 aircraft, and Coast Guard cutters to enforce current economic sanctions.