First U.S. Strikes on Venezuela’s Mainland: Venezuelan Militia Incapable of Responding
President Trump confirmed that U.S. forces struck a facility on Venezuela’s coast used to load boats with drugs, describing it as a dock area destroyed around December 27, 2025. Speaking at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said there was a major explosion at the “implementation area,” but declined to specify whether the operation was carried out by the military or the CIA, stating, “it doesn’t matter” and “I know exactly who it was but I don’t want to say.”
No official confirmation has come from the Pentagon, the White House, or the CIA, and Venezuelan authorities or regional sources have not reported a facility being destroyed.
This appears to be the first known land-based strike since the administration’s anti-narcotics campaign began in September 2025. Since then, the U.S. has conducted at least 29 maritime strikes destroying 30 vessels and killing at least 105 individuals labeled as “narcoterrorists.” The U.S. has deployed 15,000 troops and multiple warships to the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, positioned CV-22 Ospreys and C-17 cargo planes from Fort Campbell and Fort Stewart in the region, seized at least two Venezuelan oil tankers, and implemented a blockade of sanctioned oil shipments.
Trump signed a CIA finding in October authorizing covert action against Venezuela, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an execute order in August directing Special Operations to sink vessels and target crews. Trump has designated the Maduro regime as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Legal experts note that military strikes on Venezuelan territory without authorization could violate international law and potentially trigger Venezuela’s right to self-defense under the UN Charter.
The land-based strike marks an escalation from maritime interdiction to direct attacks on sovereign territory. However, analysts say Venezuela is largely unable to retaliate. Caracas has condemned U.S. actions as acts of piracy. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused Trump of attempting to seize Venezuelan wealth, while President Nicolás Maduro claims the U.S. is fabricating justifications for intervention. Venezuela has passed laws imposing harsh penalties on supporters of the U.S. blockade.
Despite repeated threats to mobilize four million militia members and warnings that hosting U.S. forces would be considered an act of war, Venezuela has launched no military counter-strikes against U.S. vessels, the dock facility strike, or oil tanker seizures. Venezuela’s limited military capabilities explain its lack of response. Its F-16 fleet has just 3–6 operational aircraft, with only a 30–40% readiness rate due to long-term sanctions limiting maintenance and upgrades. The Su-30MK2 fleet has about 13 flyable aircraft, hampered by maintenance issues and scarce Russian spare parts.
Any Venezuelan sortie against the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group would be suicidal, given U.S. air superiority, AWACS surveillance, and Aegis-equipped destroyers. Venezuela lacks AWACS, aerial refueling, and modern support aircraft. Its navy operates only one functional frigate and a single Type-209 submarine. Corvettes purchased from Spain were delivered unarmed and later retrofitted, but still lack effective air-defense systems. Ground forces also face equipment degradation and low morale, compounded by shortages of food and supplies.
Analysts say Venezuela’s only viable military doctrine is asymmetric resistance, including guerrilla tactics, urban disruption, and prolonged insurgency. The regime maintains small units trained in sabotage, surveillance, and territorial defense, designed to survive an initial strike and operate independently—strategies relevant mainly in the event of a U.S. ground invasion. Maritime interdiction and air strikes bypass these preparations entirely.
Maduro’s survival strategy relies on avoiding any action that would justify a full U.S. invasion. He uses military rhetoric to rally nationalist sentiment and justify internal crackdowns, including arrests of opposition figures and harsh penalties for supporting the blockade. Russia and China provide diplomatic support at the UN but are unlikely to offer military assistance. China continues to purchase Venezuelan oil at a discount, providing Maduro with crucial revenue.
Military analysts agree that U.S. forces could establish air and sea control within days. A full invasion would require over 100,000 troops and likely face destroyed infrastructure and insurgency. Political considerations—including urban warfare risks, potential damage to oil infrastructure, regional opposition from Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil, and the limited goal of pressuring rather than occupying Maduro’s government—explain why the U.S. has not pursued a full-scale invasion.
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