TRUMP CONFIRMS AIR STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN SOIL; ADMISSION TRIGGERS WAR POWERS CLOCK

TRUMP CONFIRMS AIR STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN SOIL; ADMISSION TRIGGERS WAR POWERS CLOCK

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump explicitly confirmed on Friday that U.S. military forces conducted an aerial strike against a land-based facility within Venezuelan territory earlier this week. The admission signals a pivotal escalation in "Operation Southern Spear," shifting the U.S. posture from maritime interdiction to direct military engagement on sovereign soil—a development that activates key definitions of open hostilities and starts the clock on the War Powers Resolution.

In a Friday interview with WABC radio regarding the administration's anti-narcotics campaign, President Trump stated that U.S. forces had struck a "big facility" or "major plant" inside Venezuela "two nights earlier."

Connecting the Strike: The Zulia Incident

While the White House has not released an official operational log, the President’s remarks align directly with reports of a massive explosion on Wednesday, December 24, at a chemical industrial site in San Francisco, Zulia state. Venezuelan officials initially attributed the destruction at the Primazol facility to an industrial accident or sabotage. Trump’s comments, however, provide the first official U.S. acknowledgement of responsibility for a kinetic event on Venezuelan land.

This confirmation is critical for geopolitical observers: under standard definitions of military engagement, a kinetic strike impacting the land territory of a sovereign nation constitutes a direct act of war, distinguishing it from law enforcement interdictions in international waters.

Market Impact: Boats and Land Targets

The President's interview confirmed two distinct operational realities:

1. Land Strike: The strike on the "major plant" confirms U.S. ordnance has impacted Venezuelan land territory.
2. Maritime Strikes: Trump confirmed that U.S. forces continue to "bomb boats" accused of trafficking narcotics. This serves as executive validation of reports regarding aerial engagements with semi-submersible vessels in the Eastern Pacific earlier this week.

The War Powers Threshold

The confirmation of a strike occurring on or around Wednesday, December 24, places immediate legal pressure on the Trump Administration. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the President must submit a report to Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. armed forces into hostilities.

With the strike timeline set at Wednesday night, the technical reporting deadline falls on Friday, December 26. Congressional observers and legal analysts are now monitoring the Congressional Record and the White House for the formal submission of this report. The filing—or lack thereof—will determine whether the administration intends to seek Congressional authorization or claim the operation falls under existing statutory authorities regarding counter-narcotics and national defense.

Diplomatic Fallout

The Maduro regime in Caracas has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, labeling the campaign "acts of piracy" and a violation of sovereignty. While the Trump Administration has designated the Maduro government a "narco-terrorist" regime to justify these operations, the admission of a strike on Venezuelan soil transitions the conflict from aggressive interdiction to conventional warfare.