In a statement that has raised more questions than answers, former US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States recently carried out a military attack on a dock area in Venezuela used for loading narcotics onto boats destined for international waters.
Trump's Vague Claims at Mar-a-Lago
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday, December 30, 2025, Trump described the target as an "implementation area" where drugs are loaded. "They load the boats up with drugs. So we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area," Trump stated, adding that a "major explosion" had occurred and the site was "no longer around."
This was the second time in a week Trump referred to such an operation. During a radio interview with host and Republican donor John Catsimatidis that aired on Friday, he mentioned attacking a "big facility" or "big plant" where ships originate, claiming, "Two nights ago we knocked that out... we hit them very hard." Both times, he declined to specify whether the military or an intelligence agency like the CIA was responsible, stating, "I know exactly who it was but I don't want to say."
No Official Confirmation and Venezuelan Silence
As of now, there has been no independent verification of the alleged strike from the US administration or the Venezuelan government. Key agencies, including the White House National Security Council, the Pentagon, the CIA, and U.S. Southern Command, have all declined to comment or referred inquiries elsewhere.
Similarly, the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which has historically accused the US of planning attacks, has not announced that any such incident took place. The lack of confirmation has led to confusion and surprise among several US officials, who privately acknowledged the possibility of a clandestine operation unknown to most.
Speculation and Alternative Theories
In the absence of official details, open-source analysts in Venezuela speculated over the weekend that Trump's comments might be linked to a fire at an industrial park in Maracaibo on December 24. However, the company operating the facility, Primazol, categorically denied any connection to a US attack, attributing the blaze to an accident.
The context for these claims is a sustained US pressure campaign against Maduro's government. Since August, the US has maintained a military buildup in the Caribbean. The Trump administration accuses Maduro of facilitating the flow of deadly drugs into the United States. While Venezuela itself is not a major narcotics producer, it is a key transit route for Colombian cocaine—the world's largest source—headed to the US and Europe.
Trump's strategy has notably shifted from the previous months of publicising video evidence of boat strikes to one of ambiguity and public insinuation. It remains unclear what specific site was targeted, the extent of damage, or if there were any casualties. The method of attack—whether a conventional military strike, a cyber operation, or a covert action—is also unconfirmed.
The incident, as described by Trump, would mark a significant escalation in US actions against Venezuela, but without concrete evidence or acknowledgment from official channels, the full story behind these claims is still shrouded in mystery.
