The exact location is within a stretch of the western coast at the northern tip of the Gulf of Venezuela. This area has a historical background of smuggling dating back to the colonial era.
Cross-referencing official data, recent anti-drug operations, and intelligence from open and confidential sources accurately pinpoints the target of the US military attack in Venezuela: a coastal strip at the border between Colombia and Venezuela, specifically in the western sector of the Gulf of Venezuela, between Puerto López (Colombia) and the community of Poshoure (Zulia state).
This location is not random; it aligns with a historical pattern of illegal trafficking and documented evidence of cocaine shipments in recent months.
War remnants on the beaches
In early November 2025, a loud bang shattered the stillness of a windless afternoon on the Colombian coast of La Guajira. Seconds later, columns of black smoke spiraled up from the sea, as if the horizon was on fire. What local residents witnessed and recorded on their phones was the first independent visual record of the aftermath of an airstrike from the US campaign.
Two days later, the sea washed ashore, near Puerto López, tangible evidence of what had transpired:
· A burned-out 30-meter-long boat.
· Two mangled human bodies.
· Charred barrels, life vests, and dozens of empty packages, which contained remnants of a substance with a marijuana scent.
This discovery, confirmed on-site by reporters from The New York Times, serves as the first public physical evidence of a campaign that, according to US military data, had destroyed at least 29 vessels and caused over 100 deaths in the Caribbean by that date.
A historical pattern: Puerto López and the Shadow of the “Almirante Padilla”
The campaign, dubbed “Lanza del Sur”, escalated at the end of December. President Donald Trump announced that US forces had attacked “the dock area where ships load drugs” in Venezuela, referring to a “large facility” or plant along the coastline. This announcement validated previous reports from The New York Times detailing a drone attack launched by the CIA against a Venezuelan port facility, described as a dock used to store and ship narcotics.
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A historical pattern: Puerto López and the shadow of the “Almirante Padilla”
The choice of target is not incidental. The coastal area between Puerto López (Colombia) and Poshoure (Venezuela) is a direct heir to a long history of illegal trafficking.
Puerto López itself was the first “free port” for smuggling in Colombia, a hub for illegal trade that was dismantled in 1954 by an operation from the Colombian Navy.
The “Almirante Padilla” ship then arrived at the port, confiscated all the smuggled goods, and left the place in ruins, an event immortalized in cultural memory through the vallenato of composer Rafael Escalona.
Key historical parallels:
· Same geography: The same network of shallow bays, tangled mangroves, and uninhabited coastlines that facilitated the smuggling of fabrics and liquors is now used for drug trafficking.
· Same military logic: In 1954, the Colombian state deployed its main naval asset to destroy the logistical infrastructure of smuggling. In 2025, the US state utilizes its most advanced technology (drones) to destroy the logistical structure of drug trafficking in the same region.
· Recent documented activity: Venezuelan operations in Poshoure (February 2025) have seized cocaine shipments and fast boats hidden in mangroves, demonstrating that this coastal strip remains an active node for drug shipments into the Caribbean.
Conclusion: a target with a history
The US attack in Venezuela did not occur randomly. The coordinates point to a specific strip at the northern tip of the Gulf of Venezuela, a location where recent physical evidence (remains of burnt vessels), high-level official statements, and a historical past converge that makes the area a logical target. Seventy years after the “Almirante Padilla” ended the free smuggling port, the “war on drugs” repeats the strategy: to attack and destroy the logistical enclave from where illegal trafficking has operated for generations. History in La Guajira seems doomed to repeat itself.
Note: This analysis is based on cross-referencing official sources, verified international news reports, and documented historical data. Deliberately, speculative or unverified political narratives have been avoided, focusing on geographical location and verified facts.