Wed Dec 31 06:28:48 UTC 2025: Summary:
The CIA conducted a drone strike last week on a docking area in Venezuela believed to be used by drug cartels. This operation, the first direct U.S. action on Venezuelan soil since strikes began in September, marks an escalation in the Trump administration’s pressure on President Maduro’s government. President Trump acknowledged the strike, stating it targeted a “dock area where they load the boats up with drugs.” The CIA and White House have declined to comment further. This action follows a build-up of US personnel in the Caribbean and numerous strikes on alleged drug boats, as well as a quasi-blockade of sanctioned oil tankers. Trump has repeatedly stated Maduro’s days are numbered, citing concerns over drugs and emptied prisons being sent to the US. Maduro, under indictment in the U.S. for narco-terrorism, has not addressed the strike.
News Article:
CIA Drone Strike Hits Venezuelan Docking Area, Escalating US Pressure on Maduro
Washington, D.C. – December 31, 2025 – In a significant escalation of tensions, the CIA carried out a drone strike last week on a docking area near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, believed to be used by drug cartels. This marks the first known direct U.S. operation on Venezuelan soil since the covert strikes began in September.
Sources familiar with the operation, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the CIA’s involvement. The strike, which targeted a “dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” according to President Trump, has yet to be acknowledged by Venezuelan officials.
President Trump initially alluded to the operation during a radio interview on Friday, December 26th, and later confirmed it targeted a drug smuggling operation. He declined to specify whether the military or CIA conducted the attack.
The CIA and White House have both refused to comment further on the matter. A spokesperson for Special Operations Command stated that they did not support this operation.
This action follows a period of heightened U.S. military activity in the Caribbean, including a build-up of personnel since August, at least 30 strikes on alleged drug boats, and a quasi-blockade aimed at seizing sanctioned oil tankers.
For months, President Trump has threatened strikes on Venezuelan territory, citing concerns over drug trafficking and the alleged emptying of Venezuelan prisons into the United States. He has also repeatedly stated that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s days in power are numbered. Maduro and members of his inner circle have been under federal indictment in the U.S. since 2020 for narco-terrorism. The U.S. Justice Department has doubled the reward for information leading to his arrest to $50 million.
Maduro did not address the CIA operation during a public address on Tuesday. The situation remains tense as the U.S. continues to exert pressure on the Venezuelan government.