Trump Confirms 'Large Scale' Kinetic Strikes on Venezuelan Soil; Military Engagement Verified at Caracas Bases

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States has successfully executed a "large scale strike" against the Venezuelan government, marking a decisive shift from economic pressure to direct kinetic engagement. The operation, confirmed to have impacted key military infrastructure on Venezuelan land territory, resolves immediate questions regarding Washington's willingness to escalate force in the region.

The President's statement, released Saturday following a rapid 72-hour military buildup, confirms that U.S. forces have struck Fuerte Tiuna—the main military base in Caracas—as well as the La Carlota airbase and the port of La Guaira. These targets confirm that U.S. operations have moved beyond maritime interdictions and cyber operations to conduct kinetic strikes on sovereign Venezuelan soil, a threshold that fundamentally alters the security architecture of the Western Hemisphere.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader," President Trump stated.

The strikes serve as the culmination of a five-month escalation campaign. Late Friday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a total ban on commercial flights over Venezuela due to "ongoing military activity," while the State Department ordered American citizens in the country to shelter in place. This transition to open hostilities follows the designation of Venezuelan state units as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" and the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group.

Verification from Caracas indicates the strikes specifically targeted command-and-control infrastructure and military logistics hubs. This direct engagement between U.S. military forces and the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) moves the standoff into a phase of open warfare.

With the kinetic threshold crossed, attention shifts to the legal ramifications in Washington. Under the War Powers Resolution, the Trump Administration is required to submit a report to Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. armed forces into hostilities. Whether the White House files this report by January 5 will be the definitive signal of the administration's intent—either to seek authorization for a sustained campaign or to attempt to frame the event as a limited, albeit heavy, counter-narcotics strike under the existing "Operation Southern Spear" mandate.

Regional fallout was immediate. The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá has issued high-level security alerts, and neighboring Colombia has placed border forces on maximum readiness. While the Maduro government has declared a "state of external disturbance," the U.S. continues to characterize the strikes as necessary enforcement against a "narco-terrorist" regime.