President Donald Trump said US forces carried out a strike on a dockyard in Venezuela allegedly used by drug traffickers, the first attack against the Latin American country’s mainland.
CNN previously reported the detonation was caused by a CIA-operated drone; Caracas has not confirmed the attack.
The alleged strike comes as Trump ramps up his campaign to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power: Washington last week ordered US forces to “quarantine” Venezuelan oil exports — the lifeblood of the Maduro regime — threatening wider geopolitical rifts: Caracas exports most of its oil to China, often using vessels linked to Russia and Iran for deliveries.