CIA Conducts Drone Strike on Venezuelan Port Facility Allegedly Used by Drug Traffickers

Earlier this month, the CIA carried out a drone strike targeting a port facility on the Venezuelan coast, marking the first known U.S. attack on a target inside Venezuela. Sources familiar with the operation indicated that the strike aimed at a remote dock believed to be utilized by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua for storing and shipping drugs. No casualties were reported, as the facility was unoccupied at the time of the strike.

President Donald Trump acknowledged the operation, stating, "There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs." He added, "They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats and now we hit the area. It's the implementation area, that's where they implement, and that is no longer around."

The strike is part of a broader U.S. campaign against drug trafficking networks in the region. Since September, the U.S. has conducted multiple strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in over 100 deaths. The Trump administration has framed these efforts as part of an "armed conflict" with drug cartels.

Venezuelan officials have condemned the U.S. actions. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello criticized the "imperial madness" and ongoing "harassment, threats, attacks, persecution, robberies, piracy and murders."

The CIA and the White House have declined to comment on the specifics of the operation. The strike underscores the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, as the U.S. continues to target facilities and networks it associates with drug trafficking activities.