Washington just dropped literal bombs on a Venezuelan dock, signaling a no-nonsense approach to drug trafficking straight from the Trump administration’s playbook.
In a bold escalation, the CIA launched a drone strike last week on a remote Venezuelan dock suspected of being a key hub for drug smuggling by the Tren de Aragua gang, alongside other U.S. operations targeting Venezuelan interests since early September 2025.
For American taxpayers, this isn’t just a far-off strike—it’s a direct hit on the financial burden of combating drug flows that fuel addiction and crime on our streets, costing billions in law enforcement and healthcare every year.
Retirees in border states, especially, feel the sting of unchecked migration and narcotics crossing over, with local hospitals and social services stretched thin by the ripple effects of Venezuela’s chaos.
This strike, first hinted at by President Trump a few days before Monday, wasn’t public knowledge at the time, but it obliterated the dock and its vessels, though officials warn drug lords likely have plenty more hideouts.
The Venezuelan government, predictably, has stayed mum on the attack within their borders, leaving the world guessing about their next move—or lack thereof.
Meanwhile, U.S. forces haven’t limited their reach to land—since September, strikes in international waters have taken out at least 107 suspected narcoterrorists, including two killed in a Pacific vessel attack on Monday.
This campaign, ordered by President Trump, is part of a broader pressure tactic against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, whose grip on power remains a thorn in America’s side.
Trump’s frustration with migration and drug trafficking from Venezuela has fueled additional measures, like a blockade of oil tankers mid-month, targeting the nation with the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
“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,” Trump said on WABC radio to John Catsimatidis on Monday. “Two nights ago, we knocked that out.”
“So we hit them very hard,” he added. Well, that’s one way to send a message—straight through a drone’s crosshairs, though skeptics might wonder if Maduro even flinched.
Adding intrigue, online videos suggest a possible U.S. hit on a chemical plant near Lake Maracaibo on Christmas Eve, though the company and local officials, including Maduro ally Hector Soto, blame an electrical failure.
Trump himself teased land strikes earlier this month, saying, “We’re going to start doing those strikes on land, too.” If that’s not a warning shot across Maduro’s bow, what is?
Top administration officials liken these operations to past U.S. campaigns against terror groups like al Qaeda, framing Venezuela’s drug networks as a national security threat—a comparison that’s hard to ignore when cartels wield such deadly influence.
