Fox News abruptly paused its rolling coverage after Donald Trump announced that the US military had carried out a major strike on drug-smuggling boats and port infrastructure in Venezuela, revealing details of what he described as a powerful explosion along the country’s coastline. The dramatic interruption came as the former president outlined what he said was a decisive blow against narcotics operations linked to the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, marking a significant escalation in US action in the region.

Speaking during a press conference live on the news channel, Trump said American forces had destroyed vessels being loaded with drugs and the surrounding dock area, claiming: “There was a major explosion and the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs… So we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area – the implementation area – that’s where they implement. That is no longer around.”

Precise details remain unclear. It has not been confirmed where the facility was located, how the strike was carried out, or whether any casualties occurred.

Trump took questions while speaking at Mar-a-Lago on Monday (December 29), standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said US personnel had struck what he called an “implementation” area connected to drug operations.

US officials told The New York Times that a drug facility in Venezuela had been eliminated, but offered no further information. The Venezuelan government has made no public comment so far on the alleged strike.

If confirmed, the action would represent the first known US land strike inside Venezuela since Trump’s administration began its pressure campaign against Maduro, following months of maritime operations against alleged drug-smuggling boats.

Since September 2, US forces have struck at least 28 suspected trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 105 people described by the administration as “narcoterrorists”.

Critics have condemned the operations as extrajudicial killings, arguing that Venezuelan cartels primarily traffic cocaine rather than fentanyl.

Trump previously confirmed in October that he authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, with reports suggesting special operations forces were recently deployed.

He has also announced a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers, with US forces seizing at least two vessels and pursuing another off Venezuela’s coast.

Trump recently made further remarks during an appearance on the Cats & Cosby show on New York’s WABC radio, where he praised the military’s actions and said a key facility had been taken out just days earlier.

He told hosts John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby: “We just knocked out – I don’t know if you read or you saw – they have a big plant or big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from.”

He added: “Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard.”