The president of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Monday, 29, that the United States attacked and destroyed a boat docking area in Venezuela allegedly used by drug trafficking, which would be the first attack on land since the launch of the military campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America.
“There was a big explosion in the area of a pier where boats loaded with drugs,” the American president told reporters. “We attacked all the vessels and now we attack the area [de atraque]… and it no longer exists”, he added.
“It was on the coast,” he said, without detailing whether it was a military operation or where the attack took place.
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Trump had already mentioned the attack in an interview with WABC radio on Friday, the 26th. During a conversation with John Catsimatidis, the Republican billionaire and supporter of the president who owns WABC, the American president pointed out that “a large facility” had been destroyed two days before the conversation.
After the statements, the American newspaper The New York Times contacted the Pentagon and the CIA, but both bodies said they had no information to share. The White House also declined to comment.
Attack
If Trump’s statement is correct, this would be the first known attack on land since the beginning of the military campaign against Venezuela.
The American president had promised to begin a ground offensive against Caracas, but had not announced an attack. Venezuela gained unprecedented prominence in 2025 when it became the target of an intimidation campaign by the American government. After deploying more than 20% of its troops to the Caribbean under the justification of combating drug trafficking, it is unclear what the United States intends.
The contingent sent by Washington to the region includes warships, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, nuclear submarines, drones and bombers. In addition to intimidation, the US carried out bombings in international waters under the allegation of killing drug traffickers who were transporting drugs to Washington. More than 25 attacks were carried out and at least 95 people died.
The American president also decided to block all sanctioned oil tankers operating in Venezuela, resulting in the confiscation of at least two vessels. Washington accuses Caracas of using oil sales to finance “narcoterrorism, human trafficking, murders and kidnappings”.
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Despite the official justification of combating drug trafficking, signs indicate that the American president’s intention is to remove Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, from power. The two leaders even spoke on the phone and negotiated possible agreements, but Trump showed no flexibility and wants the dictator to leave, according to American newspapers.
UN experts denounce blockade
Amid Trump’s military campaign, experts from the United Nations (UN) last week denounced the naval blockade ordered by Trump. According to them, the American measure constitutes an “armed attack” and violates international law.
“There is no right to impose unilateral sanctions through an armed blockade,” said the experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council – but they do not formally speak on behalf of the organization. “This is a use of force so serious that it is expressly recognized as an illegal armed aggression in the Definition of Aggression adopted by the General Assembly in 1974”, point out the experts.
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For the rapporteurs, the action constitutes an armed attack under the terms of article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which, in theory, gives the victim State the right to self-defense.
Experts also harshly criticized Washington’s attacks on alleged drug traffickers’ vessels, noting that no public evidence was presented that such boats were, in fact, transporting drugs.
At a UN Security Council meeting on December 23, Russia and China harshly criticized the military and economic pressure exerted by the United States on Venezuela, classifying Washington’s stance as “cowboy behavior” and “intimidation”. Venezuela’s ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada, also spoke before the Council: “We are facing a power that acts outside international law, demanding that we, Venezuelans, abandon our country and hand it over.”
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*With international agencies.
