Venezuela has begun what it describes as a “massive mobilization” of troops, weapons, and equipment in direct response to the growing buildup of US military power in the Caribbean Sea.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced on Tuesday that land, air and naval forces – along with the Bolivarian Militia – will conduct nationwide exercises through Wednesday.
He said the mobilization was ordered by President Nicolás Maduro to counter the “imperialist threat” posed by the United States.
These drills are scheduled to involve the Bolivarian Militia, a force of armed civilians created by the late President Hugo Chávez, as part of Venezuela’s “Independence Plan 200.” The plan consists of a civic-military defense strategy aimed at integrating regular troops, militia members, and police within one chain of command.
“Our mission is to optimize command, control and communications in defending our homeland,” López said.
The move comes just as the USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s largest aircraft carrier, entered the US Southern Command area of operations—an area that covers most of Latin America.
Tensions Soar as US Expands Regional Presence
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Ford’s redeployment from Europe to the Caribbean late last month. The carrier strike group includes two guided-missile destroyers, a missile-defense command ship, nine air squadrons, and more than 4,000 sailors.
Washington has framed the operation as part of a renewed war on drug trafficking, maintaining that the increased military presence seeks to staunch the flow of narcotics into the US. Caracas accuses Washington of plotting regime change and points to former President Donald Trump’s public comments about using force in Venezuela as proof.
Last month, Trump acknowledged he had authorized CIA operations inside the country and hinted at military action; administration officials later downplayed that language.
Maduro’s Show of Strength
Maduro’s government says its armed forces of about 123,000 active personnel are supported by more than 8 million reservists, though analysts doubt the accuracy of those figures.
Military analysts estimate that there are now approximately 15,000 US troops across the region, with major deployments in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean Sea, and Central America.
US military hardware now includes F-35 fighter jets, Reaper drones, guided-missile destroyers, and submarines, all operating close to Venezuelan territory.
In the past few weeks, the US has flown several bomber drills near Venezuela’s coast, including what the Pentagon described as an “attack demonstration” in late October.
Regional observers now fear that one miscalculation could spark a major confrontation in Latin America, already strained by economic crises and political instability as both sides escalate deployments.