President Donald Trump has indicated that the United States carried out a strike on a facility in South America linked to alleged drug trafficking operations, marking a potential escalation in Washington’s ongoing pressure campaign against Venezuela.
Trump made the remarks during what appeared to be an impromptu phone call to radio host John Catsimatidis on WABC radio on Friday according to AP. While discussing U.S. military operations targeting alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, the president indicated that a land-based target had also been hit.
“I don’t know if you read or saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from,” Trump said. “Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So, we hit them very hard.”
The president did not provide further details about the location of the facility, the nature of the strike, or whether U.S. forces were directly involved. No official confirmation has been issued publicly by the Department of Defense or the White House.
On Monday, the Pentagon referred questions about Trump’s comments to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. In previous operations, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or official U.S. military social media accounts have typically announced each boat strike publicly, but no announcement has been made regarding an attack on a land-based facility.
The Venezuelan government also remained silent. Its press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s statement.
Since early September, U.S. forces have conducted at least 29 known strikes on alleged drug boats, resulting in at least 105 deaths, according to publicly available data referenced during the radio discussion.
Trump has repeatedly suggested in recent months that his administration could move beyond maritime interdictions and begin targeting facilities on land in South America, particularly in Venezuela.
In October, Trump confirmed that he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, further intensifying speculation about the scope of U.S. involvement in the region. The CIA declined to comment on Monday.
Beyond air and maritime strikes, the U.S. has increased its military footprint in the region by deploying warships, building up forces, and seizing two oil tankers, while pursuing a third.
The Trump administration has framed these actions as part of what it describes as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, aimed at stopping the flow of narcotics into the United States.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has rejected that explanation, insisting that the true objective of U.S. military operations is to remove him from power.
That view was echoed bluntly by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who said in an interview with Vanity Fair published this month that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro ‘cries uncle.’”
As of now, U.S. officials have not confirmed whether a strike on a land-based facility occurred, leaving Trump’s comments as the strongest indication yet that the administration may be expanding its military campaign beyond the seas.
