Trump: U.S. Strikes Drug Loading Sites in Venezuela, Explosion Occurs in Port Area
U.S. President Trump said on Monday, December 29, that the United States has "struck" an area in Venezuela where drugs are loaded onto ships and claimed a "big explosion" occurred in the port area. This is the first time the U.S. has reported carrying out ground operations inside Venezuela since the pressure campaign against President Maduro's government.
Reuters reported that Trump said on Monday: "There was a big explosion at the dock area where they (Venezuela) load drugs onto ships."
Trump said: "We have struck all the vessels and targeted that area... it was the place where the operation was carried out, where they conducted their activities, and it no longer exists."
It is currently unclear what specific target was hit in this operation, nor which department of the U.S. government carried it out.
When asked if the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in the operation, Trump responded: "I don't want to say. I know very well who did it, but I don't want to say who." Trump previously stated that he had authorized the CIA to conduct secret operations in Venezuela.
Last week, in a radio program, Trump also vaguely mentioned an operation carried out by the U.S. in Venezuela, stating that the U.S. had destroyed a "large facility." Trump said that the facility was related to ships suspected of smuggling drugs into the U.S., but did not reveal specific details.
Regarding Trump's statements, the CIA, the White House, and the Pentagon have not made further comments. The Venezuelan government has also not commented on the events described by Trump.
Reuters noted that a chemical plant called Primazol in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, caught fire on Christmas Eve. The company denied online rumors linking the fire to Trump's described operation, stating that the fire was quickly extinguished and the incident was still under investigation. Local residents told Reuters that they heard an explosion and saw flames and smelled chlorine.
The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized the "success" of U.S. efforts to combat suspected drug-smuggling vessels, with the Department of Defense having posted multiple segments of related military strike footage on social media.
Reuters previously reported that the U.S. is preparing for a new phase of actions against Venezuela to increase pressure on the Maduro government, including the possibility of secret operations.
In recent years, the U.S. military has launched multiple military strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. According to reports, these operations have resulted in more than 100 deaths and have drawn high attention from the U.S. Congress. Some Democratic lawmakers have questioned whether some of the U.S. military actions comply with international law.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852886338803018/
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