Le président américain Donald Trump He suggested that the United States had recently "strike" a facility in South America that he linked to maritime drug trafficking operations, without providing further details. This statement was made during an impromptu radio interview, as Washington intensifies pressure on Venezuela.
Donald Trump was speaking Friday during a phone call with host John Catsimatidis on WABC, when he discussed US airstrikes against ships suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. According to figures released by US authorities, these operations have resulted in at least 105 deaths in 29 known strikes since the beginning of September.
"They have a large factory, a large facility from which, you know, the ships depart," the president said. "Two nights ago, we neutralized it. So we hit them very hard," he added, without specifying the nature of the attack or the exact location targeted.
No official confirmation has been provided by the Pentagon, which referred questions to the White House. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Unlike strikes against vessels, which are usually announced on social media by the Secretary of Defense or the U.S. military, no communication has indicated an attack targeting a land-based facility.
Venezuelan authorities also did not immediately react to the US president's remarks. For several months, Donald Trump has been discussing the possibility of ground strikes in South America, in Venezuela or another country, recently stating that the United States would "soon" move from attacks against ships to land-based operations.
In October, the US president confirmed that he had authorized the CIA to conduct clandestine operations in Venezuela. Alongside the strikes, Washington reinforced its military presence in the region, deployed warships, and seized two oil tankers, while pursuing a third.
The Trump administration claims to be engaged in an "armed conflict" against drug cartels in order to stop the flow of narcotics into the United States. For his part, the Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro argues that the real objective of these military operations is to force him to leave power, in a context of persistent diplomatic tensions between Washington and Caracas.
