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By Hollie Silverman
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President Donald Trump briefly addressed the recent strike on a Venezuela facility during a joint press availability with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, saying in part, "There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs."
The pair spoke to reporters ahead of their scheduled meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
The strike, which Trump described as the destruction of a key drug facility along the Venezuelan coast, marked an escalation in ongoing efforts by the United States to stem illegal narcotics shipments.
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While the president said the facility "is no longer around,” he did not specify the location, level of destruction, or possible casualties.
Newsweek reached out to the White House, the Venezuela UN Mission and the Venezuela's Trinidad Embassy by email on Monday for comment.
Why It Matters
In recent months, the U.S. military has announced more than 25 operations against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific as part of a campaign by Trump to tackle the smuggling of drugs to the U.S.
The strikes, which have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and human rights groups, have increased tensions with Venezuela as well as Colombia amid a U.S. military buildup in the region and indications from the Trump administration that it will intensify its campaign to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro—including comments from Trump that military strikes on land will soon start.
When asked about talks with Maduro, Trump said they had recently spoken "but nothing comes of it."
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What To Know
During a radio interview with WABC on Friday, the president said, "We just knocked out—I don't know if you read or you saw— they have a big plant or a big facility where...the ships come from. Two nights ago, we knocked that out."
The president, however, did not mention Venezuela by name.
On Monday, Trump said U.S. forces had recently struck a “major facility” used for loading drug shipments onto boats, which he called the “implementation area” when asked by a reporter about the "explosion in Venezuela."
The attack followed a four-month campaign involving at least 29 strikes by U.S. military vessels targeting boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific allegedly engaged in drug trafficking. According to defense sources, these operations have resulted in at least 105 deaths, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. Coast Guard, with Navy support, has also pursued and seized oil tankers believed to be part of Venezuela’s so-called "shadow fleet," used to circumvent U.S. sanctions. Notable vessels, such as Centuries and Skipper, both Panama-flagged, have been taken under U.S. judicial order.
The administration justified these actions by saying they prevent drugs from reaching the U.S. and undermine the Maduro regime’s finances.
The Venezuelan government has condemned the U.S. actions as illegal and accused Washington of acts of piracy.
Amid U.S. strikes and escalating sanctions, Venezuela’s economy and daily life for residents continues to be strained. Observers on Venezuela’s coast noted a dramatic reduction in tanker activity and deteriorating living conditions, with significant hikes in food prices reported near refineries recently targeted by U.S. actions.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on Monday to reporters after being asked if the U.S. military performed the strike: “Well, it doesn’t matter. But there was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs. So, we hit all the boats and we hit the area, the implementation area. That's where they implement. And that is no longer around."
When asked by a reporter if the attack was the only U.S. strike inside the country, Trump said, "I don't want to comment."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox & Friends on Monday: [The targeting of tankers is intended to send] “a message around the world that the illegal activity that Maduro is participating in cannot stand, he needs to be gone, and that we will stand up for our people.”
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said in an official statement last Monday, according to the AP: “We reviewed the aggressions and flagrant violations of international law that have been committed in the Caribbean: attacks against vessels and extrajudicial executions, and the unlawful acts of piracy carried out by the United States government.”
What Happens Next
Trump has not ruled out additional land-based military actions. Venezuela’s National Assembly is poised to pass new laws potentially increasing penalties for actions perceived as supporting U.S. or foreign interference.
The situation remains fluid, with continued regional security, humanitarian, and diplomatic implications as the standoff between the U.S. and Maduro’s government persists.
Update 12/29/25, 3:17 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 12/29/25, 3:38 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a new headline.
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