CIA Conducted Venezuela Drone Strike In First Known Attack on Country’s Territory: Report

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

The Trump administration quietly carried out a drone strike in Venezuela this month, according to a new report.

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, CNN reported on Monday that the CIA struck a coastal port facility that was believed to have been used by the gang Tren de Aragua “to store drugs and move them onto boats for onward shipping.”

“No one was present at the facility at the time it was struck, so there were no casualties,” according to CNN, which also revealed that “US Special Operations Forces provided intelligence support to the operation.”

The incident is the first known attack by the Trump administration on Venezuelan territory.

President Donald Trump revealed last week that his administration took out a “big facility” in Venezuela. However, he did not reveal any details.

“They have a big plant or a big facility where the ships come from,” said the president during an interview. “Two nights ago, we knocked that out.”

Over the past year, the Trump administration has repeatedly carried out drone strikes on boats alleged to be smuggling drugs from Venezuela to the United States – killing more than 80 people in the process.

This month, the U.S. military also seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, with Trump ordering a “COMPLETE BLOCKADE” of all such vessels from entering and exiting Venezuelan territory.

Trump’s boat strikes and actions against Venezuela received criticism from allies, including informal adviser Laura Loomer, who pointed out that the overwhelming majority of drugs were coming into the United States from other countries.

“I have no sympathy for narcoterrorists being killed. It’s just worth noting that over 90% of the drug supply coming into the US is coming in from Mexico, especially the fentanyl. Fentanyl isn’t being manufactured in Venezuela,” she said. “Given that 90% of the drugs coming into the US that are killing Americans are coming from Mexico, when can we expect to see air strikes on the Mexican cartels in Mexico?”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), meanwhile, warned that the boat strikes were just a “prelude” to a full-scale “invasion of Venezuela” in the near future.

This story is developing.

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