Trump says U.S. knocked out "big facility" in Venezuela, but offers few details

President Trump casually told a radio show last week that the U.S. "knocked out" a "big facility," seemingly in Venezuela, as part of the militarized pressure campaign against alleged narco-terrorists.The big picture: If the U.S. struck Venezuela as the president suggested, it would be a major escalation in Trump's mission targeting the Caribbean nation. Yet three days after the remarks, no government agency has provided details, confirmation or evidence of any such attack.The Pentagon did not confirm whether a strike occurred and referred Axios to the White House. The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment, and Venezuelan officials do not appear to have commented on the president's statement. The CIA declined to comment.The latest: When asked about his radio interview, the president said Monday that the U.S. had "hit" a dock area where there was a "major explosion.""There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," he said while standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago. "They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area; it's the implementation area ... that is no longer around."Driving the news: "We just knocked out — I don't know if you read or you saw — they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the ... where the ships come from. Two nights ago, we knocked that out," Trump said in a Friday phone interview with WABC radio host John Catsimatidis."We hit them very hard," Trump added.Although he did not name Venezuela, the context suggested he was referring to the country.Catch up quick: For months, U.S. forces have battered ships in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific with lethal airstrikes in what officials have described as a campaign to curb the flow of drugs. But, in recent weeks, the administration has increasingly zeroed in on oil — vital to Venezuela's economy — and seized tankers in a tightening squeeze on the country's president, Nicolás Maduro.Venezuela has condemned the tanker seizures and military strikes, with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accusing Trump of attempting to steal "the wealth that belongs to our nation."Trump claimed in the Friday interview with WABC that "they took our oil," a framing experts dispute.What they're saying: Ryan Goodman, a professor at New York University School of Law and the co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, said in an email to Axios that it's "difficult to know" what exactly Trump meant by his comment, "but it sounds like a strike on a facility, possibly on land."The use of military force on Venezuelan territory would "cross a red line" under international law, he told Axios, and could trigger Venezuela's right to exercise self-defense."If the United States conducted such an operation, I could understand why it would be covert — to minimize blowback from the international community, including our allies," Goodman added.Brian Finucane, a senior adviser with the U.S. Program at the International Crisis Group, said that such an action could be kept quiet to avoid comprising an operation or to prevent further escalation."It is notable that the president would be sharing it in this manner, rather than the U.S. government officially and formally disclosing it, as it has with respect to the maritime strikes," he told Axios.Friction point: The president has not ruled out sending troops to Venezuela, telling Politico he "wouldn't say that one way or the other" but pledging, "We're gonna hit 'em on land very soon."Earlier this year, Trump confirmed he had authorized CIA operations in Venezuela.Yes, but: There has been no further details backing up the president's comments, which largely flew under the radar until Monday.The New York Times cited unnamed U.S. officials saying the president was referring to a drug facility in Venezuela, but The Times said the officials would not provide any specifics about the site. One U.S. official also told CNN the president was describing a drug facility.The military action has triggered congressional calls for transparency, with legal questions further fueled by Trump's vague declarations.Go deeper: Trump on seized Venezuelan oil: "We're gonna keep it"Editor's note: This story was updated with additional comments from Trump.