Trump Ordered Strikes Inside Venezuela, Targeting Military Sites

(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) Multiple explosions shook Venezuela's capital, Caracas, early Saturday (Jan. 3), sending thick columns of black smoke into the sky and prompting reports of aircraft activity, according to Reuters witnesses and videos shared on social media.

Residents said a power outage hit the southern part of the city near a major military base. The cause of the disturbances, which began around 2 a.m. (0600 GMT), remained unclear, and Reuters was unable to immediately verify the authenticity of the online footage.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly signaled the possibility of land operations in Venezuela. While he has not publicly outlined his objectives, Reuters previously reported that he has privately urged President Nicolás Maduro to leave the country. Trump said Monday it would be“smart” for Maduro to relinquish power.

The Pentagon referred questions to the White House, which declined to comment.

Maduro has accused Washington of seeking regime change in order to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves.

Last month, Trump announced a blockade on all sanctioned vessels entering or leaving Venezuelan waters, intensifying pressure on Maduro's administration. The United States has also expanded sanctions and launched more than two dozen strikes on vessels it says were involved in drug trafficking across the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted on X that Caracas was under attack.“Alert everyone, they have attacked Venezuela,” he wrote, calling for urgent meetings by the Organization of American States and the United Nations. Petro, who provided no further details, has long criticized the US campaign against Venezuela.

The United States has also increased its military presence in the region, deploying an aircraft carrier, warships, and advanced fighter jets to the Caribbean.

Last week, Trump said US forces had“hit” an area in Venezuela where boats used for drug shipments are loaded, the first publicly known US land operation in the country since the current pressure strategy began. He did not specify whether the strikes were conducted by the CIA, though other media reports have suggested the agency's involvement.

Trump has accused Venezuela of flooding the US with illegal drugs, and his administration has targeted numerous boats allegedly tied to trafficking networks in South America. Many countries, however, have condemned the actions as extrajudicial killings, while Maduro's government has consistently denied any role in drug trafficking.

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