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Former President Donald Trump has claimed that American forces struck a "large installation" in the South American country last week. Yet, the ex-leader did not specify the exact nature or site of the strike, and there has been no further comment from his team.

Unspecific Comments Offered During a Talk Show

"US forces just eliminated – I don't know if you heard – they have a large facility, where the vessels depart from. The other night, we destroyed it. So we struck them with significant force," Trump allegedly said to Republican donor and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis on Friday.

Possible Significance of a Verified Attack

Should a US strike is confirmed, it would constitute the first land strike since the US Department of Defense began a increase of American strike forces in the region to disrupt drug traffickers that the former administration asserts operate under the authority of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

This original mission of the force deployment has transformed into a blockade aimed at disrupting the nation's crude oil shipments.

Social Media Footage and Administration Statements

Trump has for some time stated that US forces are poised to escalate the military campaign by striking objectives inside Venezuela, a tactic that would in theory require legislative authorization.

Video footage circulated on social media on 24 December purportedly showed an detonation allegedly from an industrial area in Zulia state. However, the video or the facility has not been confirmed by third parties.

An official from Trump's team allegedly informed a news network that the president was describing a drug facility in his comments.

Response and Ongoing Military Situation

The Venezuelan government has issued no statement on the incident the former president described. Furthermore, there have been no verified accounts from within the country about it.

The buildup of US military in the region – a position some have called a sea blockade – constitutes the most expansive maritime enforcement action of the Trump era.

Sources have avoided from calling the action as a full blockade, but have stated that approximately 15,000 troops are positioned across the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf, including a carrier strike group, F-35 aircraft, and law enforcement vessels to enforce existing economic sanctions.