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Ex-President Donald Trump has asserted that American forces hit a "major plant" in Venezuela in recent days. But, the former president offered no details on the exact purpose or site of the target, and officials have issued no further clarification from his camp.

Vague Comments Made During a Radio Interview

"US forces just destroyed – I'm not sure if you heard – they have a major complex, where the vessels depart from. The other night, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard," Trump allegedly said to GOP supporter and businessman John Catsimatidis on Friday.

Possible Implications of a Confirmed Strike

Should a American strike were to be verified, it would constitute the first ground target hit since the US Department of Defense initiated a expansion of American strike forces in the region to halt drug traffickers that the former administration alleges operate under the orders of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

This stated mission of the force deployment has since morphed into a quarantine aimed at stopping the country's crude oil shipments.

Online Footage and Official Statements

Trump has for some time warned that American military units are ready to widen the military campaign by hitting targets inside Venezuela, a strategy that would theoretically require legislative authorization.

Video footage posted on social media on 24 December appeared to show an detonation allegedly from an industrial zone in Zulia state. However, the video or the site in question has not been confirmed by third parties.

An official from Trump's team reportedly informed a media outlet that the former president was describing a narco-trafficking site in his remarks.

Reaction and Ongoing Military Posture

The Maduro government has issued no statement on the incident Trump described. Additionally, there have been no verified accounts from Venezuela concerning it.

The buildup of US military in the area – a posture certain officials have called a naval quarantine – represents the broadest maritime enforcement action of the Trump era.

Officials have avoided from calling the action as a blockade, but have acknowledged that about 15,000 troops are stationed across the Caribbean and the Gulf, including a aircraft carrier group, advanced fighter jets, and law enforcement vessels to uphold existing sanctions.