Trump Says U.S. Destroyed Port Installation in Venezuela, With No Official Confirmation

Overview

• Trump said there was a large explosion at a dock area used to load drug boats along Venezuela’s coast and declined to say which U.S. entity carried out the operation.
• The alleged land strike has not been corroborated by the Pentagon or the CIA, and Venezuelan authorities have not reported any attack.
• U.S. Southern Command separately reported a Dec. 29 strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific that killed two people, bringing the tally to roughly 31 boats hit and at least 107 deaths since September.
• The U.S. pressure campaign now combines lethal maritime actions with economic steps that restrict sanctioned oil tankers and include two vessel seizures.
• U.S. authorities have not publicly presented evidence that the targeted boats carried narcotics, and human-rights groups allege some killings amount to extrajudicial executions.