Trump says the U.S. took out a 'big facility' in Venezuela amid strikes on alleged drug boats

President Donald Trump said in an interview with WABC radio in New York that the U.S. “knocked out” a Venezuelan facility, a move that would mark a major escalation in U.S. military strikes to counter alleged drug-trafficking by the South American country.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said in an interview with WABC radio in New York that the U.S. had “knocked out” a Venezuelan facility, a move that would be a major escalation in U.S. military strikes to counter alleged drug-trafficking by the South American country.

The apparent attack follows months of U.S. military pressure, including dozens of strikes on boats in international waters. The White House has claimed that the boats carried drugs, though officials have not provided evidence.

In the short phone interview on Friday, Trump responded to a comment about Venezuela by touting the administration's attacks on alleged drug boats before referring to a strike on a "big plant or big facility" that he said took place two nights earlier.

A vessel burns in the Eastern Pacific after it was hit by a U.S. strike on Dec. 12.U.S. Southern Command"We just knocked out — I don't know if you read or you saw — they have a big plant or big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from," Trump said in the interview. "Two nights ago we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard."

Trump did not provide further details about the apparent attack on the facility, which if correct would be the first known land strike in the U.S. counternarcotics efforts against Venezuela. NBC News has not independently confirmed the strike. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the president's remarks.