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Ex-President Donald Trump has asserted that US military assets hit a "major plant" in Venezuela in recent days. However, the former president withheld information about the exact purpose or site of the target, and there has been no further clarification from his administration.

Vague Comments Offered During a Talk Show

"We just eliminated – I'm not sure if you saw – they have a big plant, where the vessels originate. The other night, we took it out. So we targeted them with significant force," Trump reportedly told Republican donor and businessman John Catsimatidis on Friday.

Possible Significance of a Verified Attack

If a American military action were to be confirmed, it would represent the initial ground target hit since the Pentagon began a expansion of US strike forces in the region to interdict drug traffickers that the Trump administration claims operate under the authority of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

This stated mission of the military buildup has since morphed into a quarantine aimed at disrupting the country's crude oil shipments.

Social Media Video and Official Statements

Trump has for some time indicated that American military units are poised to expand the operations by hitting objectives inside Venezuela, a move that would theoretically require congressional approval.

Video footage shared online on 24 December seemed to depict an explosion allegedly from an industrial zone in Zulia state. But, the video or the site in question has not been independently verified.

An administration official allegedly told a news network that the former president was referring to a drug facility in his remarks.

Response and Current Military Posture

The Maduro government has remained silent on the event Trump described. Furthermore, there have been no independent reports from within the country about it.

The deployment of US military in the region – a posture some have termed a naval quarantine – constitutes the most expansive maritime enforcement action of his time in office.

Sources have avoided from labeling the operation as a full blockade, but have stated that approximately 15,000 personnel are stationed across the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, including a aircraft carrier group, advanced fighter jets, and Coast Guard cutters to enforce existing sanctions.