🔗 Share this article US Military Struck a 'Big Complex' in Venezuela, President Trump Asserted Lacking Providing Details. Former President Donald Trump has claimed that American military assets targeted a "major plant" in the South American country last week. However, the ex-leader offered no details on the precise nature or site of the target, and there has been no further clarification from his administration. Unspecific Comments Made During a Talk Interview "We just eliminated – I'm not sure if you saw – they have a big plant, where the ships depart from. The other night, we destroyed it. So we struck them decisively," Trump allegedly told Republican donor and businessman John Catsimatidis on Friday. Possible Significance of a Confirmed Strike Should a American strike were to be verified, it would constitute the first ground target hit since the US Department of Defense began a buildup of American strike forces in the Caribbean region to disrupt drug traffickers that the Trump administration alleges operate under the authority of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The stated purpose of the force deployment has evolved into a quarantine aimed at stopping the nation's crude oil shipments. Social Media Video and Official Statements Trump has for weeks warned that American military units are poised to escalate the operations by striking objectives within Venezuela, a strategy that would theoretically require congressional approval. Video footage shared online on 24 December purportedly showed an explosion said to be 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 media outlet that the former president was referring to a narco-trafficking site in his comments. Response and Ongoing Strategic Situation The Maduro government has remained silent on the incident Trump described. Furthermore, there have been no corroborating news from within the country regarding it. The deployment of US military in the region – a stance certain officials have called a maritime "quarantine" – marks the most expansive maritime enforcement action of his time in office. Officials have stopped short from describing the operation as a blockade, but have acknowledged that around 15,000 service members are stationed across the Caribbean and the Gulf, including a carrier strike group, F-35 aircraft, and Coast Guard cutters to implement current economic sanctions.