WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec 29 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. has ‘hit’ an area in Venezuela where boats are loaded with drugs, which would mark the first known time the U.S. has carried out a ground operation in Venezuela since beginning a pressure campaign against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
“There was a big explosion in the dock area where they load the boats with drugs,” Trump said. ‘We’ve hit all boats and now we’ve hit the area… it’s the implementation area.’
It was not immediately clear which US government body acted and what target was achieved. Trump had previously said that he had authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
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On a radio show last week, Trump made vague comments about an apparent US operation against a ‘major facility’ in Venezuela.
The CIA, White House and Pentagon have not publicly elaborated on Trump’s comments, and declined to answer questions posed by Reuters.
The Venezuelan government did not comment on the incident described by Trump, and there were no independent reports from Venezuela about the incident.
The US government has previously highlighted its success in attacking suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, and the Pentagon has posted images of several of its attacks on social media.
PRESSURE ON MADURO
Last month, Reuters reported that the US was ready to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations as the Trump administration increases pressure on Maduro’s government.
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At the time, two U.S. officials said covert operations would likely be the first part of new action against Maduro.
The US mission has primarily focused on military strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels and has provoked intense oversight from the US Congress. More than 100 people were killed in more than 20 attacks in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.
Earlier this month, U.S. military leaders briefed lawmakers on an incident in September in which a U.S. strike killed 11 people but left several survivors who were killed in a second attack.
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