(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said that the United States “knocked out” a “big facility” in Venezuela last week, in what appears to be a reference to a strike on a drug trafficking site in the country.
Trump, in a radio interview with on WABC’s “Cats and Cosby” on Friday, was discussing his administration’s effort to stop drug trafficking from the region, including strikes against alleged drug boats, when he made the comment.
“And we just knocked out, I don’t know if you read or you saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from. Two nights ago we knocked that out, so we hit them very hard,” Trump said in the interview.
The New York Times reported that American officials said that Trump was referring to a drug facility in Venezuela and that it was eliminated, but gave no further details.
If Trump’s comments are accurate, then it would mark the first known attack on land in Venezuela since the Trump administration began its campaign against the country.
ABC News has reached out to the Pentagon and the White House for comment; the Pentagon referred ABC News to the White House for comment. The CIA declined to comment on the matter.
Trump has teased land action in Venezuela for weeks, confirming in October that he authorized the CIA to operate inside the South American nation.
The U.S. has also built up its military presence in the region, with 15,000 U.S. troops and several warships standing ready in the Caribbean. Earlier this month, Trump ordered what he called a “complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela, targeting the government’s main source of revenue.
Further ratcheting up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, Trump said last week it would be “smart” for Maduro to step down.
“He can do whatever he wants, it’s alright, whatever he wants to do. If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough,” Trump said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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