US Conducts First Ground Strike in Prolonged Military Campaign Against Venezuela
On December 30, 2025, former President Donald Trump announced what he described as the first US ground strike in a four-month military pressure campaign against Venezuela. Details regarding the operation remain sparse.
According to reports from CNN and The New York Times, the CIA used a drone to target a port facility allegedly utilized by the Tren de Aragua gang. While no casualties were reported, the specific date, time, and location of the strike remain unknown. The Maduro government has not commented on the incident.
This strike represents a new phase in the campaign that has been ongoing since August. The strategy has included a significant US naval buildup, multiple airstrikes that have resulted in the deaths of 107 people, blockades of oil tankers under sanctions, and actions against various vessels.
Analysts consider the US effort as a shadow war aimed at toppling Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. These moves are designed to provoke defections from Maduro's inner circle, but so far, neither side has gained decisive outcomes. The campaign's success relies on a defection that would allow the formation of a new government; however, this has not yet materialized.
Experts assert that the alleged ground strike is unlikely to have caused major damage to drug trafficking infrastructure. The Tren de Aragua gang is seen as weakened and fragmented, and if the strike took place, it may have targeted only a small village.
Previously, Venezuela dismissed imagery of Caribbean airstrikes as fake and took several weeks to respond to those strikes.
