As U.S. warships approach Caribbean waters, Maduro mobilizes 4.5 million militias Antonio María Delgado, Emily GoodinAugust 19, 2025 at 2:29 PM Venezuelan Socialist ruler Nicolas Maduro during his weekly television show In response to an increased U.S.
- - As U.S. warships approach Caribbean waters, Maduro mobilizes 4.5 million militias
Antonio María Delgado, Emily GoodinAugust 19, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Venezuelan Socialist ruler Nicolas Maduro during his weekly television show
In response to an increased U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro announced that his government will activate a special plan to mobilize over 4.5 million militia members across the country to "defend national sovereignty."
The announcement follows reports that three U.S. Navy destroyers — the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson — are heading to the southern Caribbean with thousands of Marines aboard as part of a major counternarcotics operation. The move coincides with Washington's recent decision to raise the bounty for Maduro's capture to an unprecedented $50 million.
Maduro and several of his top allies have been indicted by U.S. prosecutors for allegedly turning Venezuela into a narco-state through the so-called "Cartel of the Suns." Maduro has dismissed the charges as a "rotting rerun" aimed at justifying foreign intervention.
"This week I'm launching a special plan to ensure coverage by more than 4.5 million prepared, activated, and armed militia members across the national territory," Maduro declared Monday during a televised event, flanked by senior military commanders. He said the move is needed to counter what he described as the "extravagant, bizarre and outlandish threats" from the United States.
He also urged his political base to accelerate the creation of rural and industrial militias. "Rifles and missiles for the rural forces! To defend Venezuela's territory, sovereignty, and peace," Maduro exclaimed, adding that similar weapons would be distributed to workers in factories.
The Bolivarian National Militia — created by Hugo Chávez in 2007 and later recognized as the fifth branch of Venezuela's armed forces — is composed of volunteers and reservists, often referred to by the government as "the people in arms."
While Maduro did not directly reference the U.S. bounty during his speech, he expressed gratitude for the public support of Venezuela's military. "The first to step forward in support of this working-class president were the military of this homeland, with their rifles, missiles, tanks, and planes," he stated.
Asked by a McClatchy reporter on Tuesday if the increased U.S. Navy presence in the Caribbean could eventually translate to a military intervention inside Venezuela, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not rule out the possibility.
"President Trump has been very clear and consistent, he's prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice," she said. "The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela. It is a narco terror cartel…. It is the view of this administration [that Maduro] is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into the country."
U.S. naval deployments to the Caribbean are not entirely new. In 2020, the first Trump administration also launched what it called "an enhanced counternarcotics operation" near Venezuelan shores that also targeted the Maduro regime. At the time, the presence of heavy military hardware in the Caribbean, including Navy destroyers and Air Force E-3 AWACS, surprised many observers and led to speculation about a possible military operation against Maduro. But as many experts predicted, that didn't happen.
The New York Times reported earlier this month that President Trump secretly signed a directive allowing the Pentagon to use military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that his administration has deemed terrorist organizations. Last month, the Trump administration designated the Cartel of the Suns, which U.S. prosecutors have said is run by high-ranking members of the Venezuelan government, as "a Specially Designated Global Terrorist," opening the possibility of becoming a target for U.S. military forces if Trump goes ahead with his longtime desire to hit cartel operations directly.
Commenting last week about the ships, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized Washington's concerns about the threats pose to the U.S. by the drug cartels.
"Well, drugs are a threat to the national security of the United States," Rubio said at a virtual press conference. "First, there are groups that are freely operating in international waters, exporting poison to the United States, that is killing and destroying communities. This is a very serious topic and we have a lot of countries that cooperate with us in these efforts and some that unfortunately don't."
Maduro's announcement to activate the militias came as U.S. officials confirmed the deployment of the three Navy destroyers off the Venezuelan coast. According to the Reuters news agency, the warships are expected to arrive within 36 hours. The operation is part of a Trump strategy to intensify drug interdiction efforts in the region, targeting criminal groups Washington has labeled as international terrorist organizations.
The mission includes nearly 4,000 U.S. Marines and has direct backing from the White House. In addition to the destroyers, the deployment features P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, and other warships to bolster U.S. presence in the region.
A senior official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said the operation's primary goals are intelligence gathering and surveillance, but noted that the units could also serve as a platform for "targeted strikes" if authorized by President Trump.
In Caracas, the Ministry of Communication declined to comment on the U.S. deployment. Maduro, however, issued a warning: "Venezuela will defend its seas, its skies, and its land in the face of the strange and unprecedented threat posed by a declining empire."
The announcement of the new bounty for Maduro adds to the wide array of U.S. economic sanctions imposed in recent years, including an oil embargo and financial restrictions on senior regime officials.
Though not the first American operation in the Caribbean, this is one of the largest since the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama that resulted in the capture of leader Manuel Noriega. This time, the Doral-based U.S. Southern Command also confirmed the involvement of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which includes the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, the transport dock USS San Antonio, and the landing ship USS Fort Lauderdale.
Onboard is the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, with approximately 4,000 troops capable of conducting air, sea, and ground operations. The force includes helicopters, short-takeoff aircraft, armored vehicles, and specialized rapid-deployment teams.
The deployment "is an integral part of advancing our nations' interests abroad and is a dynamic representation of our Navy's 250 years of lethality and warfighting excellence," said Captain Chris Farricker, commander of Amphibious Squadron 8, before departing from Norfolk, Virginia.
President Donald Trump had made counternarcotics a pillar of his foreign and national security policy. According to the White House, the Caribbean deployment aims to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. while also strengthening border control.
In February, the U.S. government designated the Sinaloa Cartel, Venezuela's Tren de Aragua, and other criminal organizations as "international terrorist entities." At the same time, Washington toughened immigration measures against suspected cartel members and increased aerial surveillance at the southern border.
Miami Herald staff writer Nora Gamez Torres contributed to this story.
Source: "AOL General News"
Source: VoXi MAG
Read More >> Full Article on Source: VoXi MAG
#US #ShowBiz #Sports #Politics #Celebs