🔗 Share this article US Forces Targeted a 'Major Plant' in Venezuela, Trump Asserted Lacking Offering Details. Ex-President Trump has claimed that US forces targeted a "major installation" in the South American country last week. However, the ex-leader withheld information about the exact purpose or location of the target, and there has been no further clarification from his camp. Unspecific Remarks Made In a Talk Interview "We just eliminated – I don't know if you heard – they have a large facility, where the ships depart from. The other night, we destroyed it. So we struck them with significant force," Trump allegedly informed Republican donor and supermarket owner John Catsimatidis in a recent interview. Possible Implications of a Verified Attack Should a US military action were to be confirmed, it would mark the first ground target hit since the US Department of Defense initiated a buildup of American military presence in the region to interdict narco-trafficking operations that the Trump administration alleges operate under the authority of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The stated mission of the force deployment has transformed into a blockade aimed at disrupting the nation's oil exports. Social Media Video and Official Claims Trump has for some time indicated that US forces are poised to escalate the operations by hitting targets inside Venezuela, a move that would in theory require congressional approval. Online video posted on social media on 24 December appeared to show an explosion allegedly from an industrial zone in a Venezuelan state. However, the footage or the site in question has not been corroborated. An source allegedly told a media outlet that the former president was referring to a drug facility in his remarks. Response and Ongoing Military Situation The Caracas administration has issued no statement on the alleged strike the former president described. Furthermore, there have been no independent reports from Venezuela regarding it. The presence of US military in the area – a stance some have referred to as a sea blockade – constitutes the broadest naval operation of Trump's presidency. Sources have avoided from labeling the operation as a full blockade, but have acknowledged that around 15,000 troops are deployed across the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, including a aircraft carrier group, advanced fighter jets, and law enforcement vessels to uphold existing economic sanctions.