By Erin Banco and Idrees Ali
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Dec 29 (Reuters) – Officials in Washington and Caracas have not responded to President Donald Trump's recent remarks on a radio show about a possible U.S. operation targeting a "big facility" in Venezuela. This leaves many questions regarding which part of the U.S. government was involved and what the target was.
During an interview with billionaire talk show host John Catsimatidis on WABC radio in New York on December 26, Trump discussed U.S. efforts to target ships in the Caribbean and off the Venezuelan coast that are believed to be involved in drug trafficking.
Trump stated, “They have a big plant or a big facility where the ships come from. Two nights ago we knocked that out.” If true, this would be the first confirmed U.S. ground attack connected to the administration’s campaign in Venezuela.
However, Trump did not specify which facility was hit or what branch of the military carried out the operation. He has indicated in the past that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.
Neither the CIA, the White House, nor the Pentagon have clarified Trump's statements, and they declined to answer questions from Reuters. It is unusual for the administration to remain silent about public comments from Trump, especially related to Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government has not commented on the incident Trump referred to, and there have been no independent reports from Venezuela confirming it.
The Trump administration has previously boasted about its success in targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels, even sharing footage of several strikes on social media.
The silence from U.S. national security agencies raises concerns about whether the incident was a covert operation, which would limit officials' ability to discuss it openly.
Last month, Reuters reported that the U.S. was preparing to begin a new phase of operations related to Venezuela, increasing pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.
At that time, two U.S. officials mentioned that covert operations would likely be the initial step in this new approach against Maduro.
The U.S. mission has mainly targeted military strikes against suspected drug traffickers, leading to significant scrutiny from Congress. More than 100 people have died in over 20 strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
Earlier this month, U.S. military leaders updated lawmakers on a September incident where an American strike killed 11 people, though there were survivors who later died in a second strike ordered by Admiral Frank Bradley.
Democrats in Congress have raised concerns about whether this second strike complied with international law.
Trump's comments come at a time when the U.S. military is significantly increasing its presence in the Caribbean, with over 15,000 troops deployed.
(Reporting by Erin Banco in New York and Idrees Ali; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk and David Gregorio)