Large explosions heard in Venezuelan capital

Caracas, Jan 3 (IANS) Several large explosions were heard early Saturday in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

The cause of the explosions is unclear, while videos circulating on social media show smoke columns.

Partial disruptions to telecommunication services were reported in the capital city following sounds of explosions, reports Xinhua news agency.

This comes as US President Donald Trump has, on several occasions, warned about the possibility of ground operations in Venezuela as part of his strategy to oust President Nicolas Maduro, intensifying sanctions, augmenting military presence in the area, and accusing ships of drug trafficking in both the Caribbean and Pacific.

Recently, the US administration announced sanctions against 10 entities and individuals based in Iran and Venezuela, accusing Tehran of supplying conventional weapons to Caracas and threatening US interests across the Western Hemisphere, including the US homeland.

In separate statements, the US Department of State and the US Department of the Treasury said a Venezuelan company targeted by the sanctions had been involved in the sale of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian-designed combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Other sanctioned entities and individuals were accused of supporting procurement networks linked to Iran's drone and ballistic missile programs, said the statements.

"The entities and individuals designated today demonstrate Iran is actively proliferating its combat UAVs and continues to procure missile-related items in violation of UN restrictions," State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.

He added that the Trump administration will take action to curb Iran's ballistic missile program, block its development of other conventional and asymmetric weapons, and prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"We will continue to take swift action to deprive those who enable Iran's military-industrial complex access to the US financial system," said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley.

The US Treasury Department also said that Iran's UAV and missile programs threaten US and allied personnel in the Middle East and disrupt commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have also remained strained, with Caracas repeatedly accusing Washington of pursuing regime change and expanding its military presence in the region under what the United States calls an anti-narco-terrorism campaign.

Additionally, the CIA carried out a drone strike in December last year on a dock facility along the coast of Venezuela, marking the first known land strike by the Trump administration inside the oil-rich South American country.

The strike targeted a remote dock that U.S. officials believed was being used by a Venezuelan gang to store drugs and transfer them onto boats for shipment, the sources said.