Donald Trump Venezuela Dock Strike 2025: Narcotics Mission or Oil Seizure?

The missiles have landed, but the justifications remain deeply contested. On December 29, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that US forces carried out a land-based strike on a Venezuelan docking facility. This marks a sharp escalation, moving the conflict from international waters directly onto Venezuelan soil.

The Donald Trump Venezuela Dock Strike 2025 and the CIA Connection

Speaking at a news conference in Mar-a-Lago, Trump stated the operation targeted a facility used to load narcotics onto boats. "There was a major explosion... that area is no longer around," he claimed. While the President was vague about the perpetrators, US media reports cited sources suggesting the CIA carried out the strike. This follows a months-long campaign that has already seen the US military target over two dozen vessels, resulting in at least 100 deaths.

A Battle for the World's Largest Oil Reserves

Tensions aren't just about drugs. Recent rhetoric from the White House suggests a primary focus on Venezuela's massive oil reserves. Top aide Stephen Miller recently called the nationalization of the Venezuelan oil industry "theft," arguing that American sweat and ingenuity created it. This has fueled fears that the current military build-up—which includes 15,000 troops and the USS Gerald R. Ford—is a precursor to seizing energy assets.