Trump: "Big Explosion at Drug Loading Pier"
"Only One of Many Facilities... Largely Symbolic"
As U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that the United States had carried out its first ground military operation in Venezuela, CNN reported on December 29 (local time), citing anonymous sources, that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) attacked port facilities on the Venezuelan coast earlier this month.
According to the sources, the CIA, with intelligence support from U.S. special operations forces, used drones to strike a remote pier on the Venezuelan coast. The U.S. government determined that this pier served as a hub for the Venezuelan drug cartel 'Tren de Aragua,' where drugs were stored and loaded onto ships for transport elsewhere.
This operation marks the first U.S. airstrike conducted within Venezuelan territory. Previously, the United States had attacked vessels suspected of drug trafficking and seized sanctioned oil tankers, but all such operations had taken place in international waters near Venezuela.
The sources stated that there were no casualties, as no one was present at the site during the attack.
Two sources explained that the intelligence support provided by U.S. special operations forces for this mission demonstrates their ongoing involvement in the region. However, Colonel Ally Weiskopf, spokesperson for the Special Operations Command, denied any support for the operation.
The CIA did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
On this day, President Trump, while welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, told reporters, "There was a big explosion at a pier area where (Venezuelan) drugs are loaded onto ships." He added, "We struck every boat attempting to transport drugs to the United States, and now we have struck that area," continuing, "That is the place where they carry out (drug loading), and it no longer exists."
However, he did not mention specific details about the entities involved in the operation.
President Trump had also mentioned the attack on the Venezuelan port in a radio interview recorded on December 26 and released the previous day.
CNN analyzed that this airstrike could further escalate tensions between the United States and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
However, one source pointed out that while the attack was successful in destroying the drug cartel's facilities and vessels, its significance is largely symbolic, as it targeted only one of the many port facilities used by drug traffickers.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
