President Donald Trump appeared to casually confirm what may have been the first U.S. land strike in Venezuela during an extensive radio interview last week — a remark that largely flew under the radar.
The president said the Christmas Eve strike hit a site "where the ship comes from," a comment that seemed to point to the origin point of suspected drug vessels the U.S. military has been targeting across the Caribbean and Atlantic in recent months. Speaking on WABC on December 26, Trump made the startling implication that American forces may have already begun carrying out land-based operations inside Venezuela.
Trump Gives It All
"I don't know if you read or you saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the – where the ships come from," the president said during a call-in with radio host and billionaire John Catsimatidis, who was filling in for Sid Rosenberg.
"Two nights ago we knocked that out – so we hit them very hard," Trump confirmed.
Since late November, the president has been saying the U.S. is moving away from intercepting drug boats at sea and will "soon" begin carrying out strikes on land in Venezuela. The shift is part of a broader effort to ramp up pressure on Nicolás Maduro, as maritime operations have not appeared to slow what Washington describes as a narco-backed regime.
However, Trump's low-key remarks during the radio call-in suggested that this escalation may no longer be just a plan — and that land strikes could already be underway.
It was still unclear what the operation specifically targeted, or which U.S. forces took part in it. However, a video surfaced on X showing a large explosion in Venezuela's Zulia state, near the country's second-largest city, Maracaibo.
The blast appeared to take place near the San Francisco municipality, which lies along the western shore of the strait linking Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela.
Dealing with Trump's Wrath
Zulia-based journalist Jhorman Cruz shared footage of a huge fire followed by explosions in the early hours of December 24. He later played down suggestions that the incident was the result of a U.S. military strike.
"It is prudent to say that we still do not know what started the fire," Cruz wrote on X, according to a translation of his original post. "Residents DID NOT see anything unusual, nor drones, nor cars, nor the presence of foreigners."
"Be careful with strange hypotheses," the El Público TV director warned.
Since September 2, the Department of War has been carrying out strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels across the Caribbean and Atlantic. Those operations have killed more than 105 people and target routes the U.S. says are responsible for a sharp rise in overdose deaths.
Trump has argued that hitting targets on land would be "much easier," repeatedly hinting at a shift in strategy with comments such as "land strikes will start very soon" and "soon we will be starting the same program on land."
He has also warned Maduro that it would be "smart" for him to step aside, though he has stopped short of explicitly saying the U.S. military actions are meant to bring about regime change.
