WASHINGTON (FN) — The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility along Venezuela’s northern coast, marking the first known U.S. attack on a target inside the country, according to U.S. officials familiar with the operation.
The strike targeted a remote dock believed to be used by Tren de Aragua, a powerful Venezuelan criminal gang involved in drug trafficking operations, officials told CNN. The facility was allegedly used to store narcotics and load them onto boats for shipment across international waters.
No casualties were reported. Officials said the dock was empty at the time of the strike, and the operation was intended to disrupt trafficking infrastructure rather than target individuals. U.S. Special Operations Forces provided intelligence support for the mission, underscoring continued American counter‑narcotics activity in the region.
President Donald Trump appeared to acknowledge the strike last week, referring to an explosion at a “big facility where they load the boats up with drugs,” though he did not specify the location. The administration has not publicly commented on the details of the operation.
The drone strike comes as part of a broader U.S. campaign targeting maritime drug‑trafficking networks in South America. According to officials, the U.S. has conducted dozens of similar strikes on suspected narcotics vessels in recent months, though the Venezuelan operation is the first known land‑based target.
The incident is likely to heighten tensions between Washington and the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has long accused the U.S. of interference in the country’s internal affairs. Venezuelan authorities have not yet issued a formal response.
