Caracas has initiated a large-scale troop deployment subsequent to the US naval fleet’s arrival in the area
Venezuela’s military has been put on heightened alert, with a significant nationwide troop mobilization ordered, reacting to the ongoing expansion of US military presence in the Caribbean.
On Tuesday evening, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez declared that almost 200,000 service members were activated and brought to “full operational readiness,” with orders for land, air, naval, and reserve units to perform military exercises until Wednesday, aimed at safeguarding national defense.
This declaration followed closely after the US Navy confirmed the entry of the aircraft carrier ‘USS Gerald R. Ford’ and its three escorting vessels into the operational zone of the US Southern Command, an area the Pentagon delineates as encompassing much of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The ‘Ford’, the most substantial and advanced carrier in the US Navy, carrying approximately 4,000 sailors, has been reassigned from European waters to Latin America for a mission intended to “disrupt narcotics trafficking.” Reports indicate that its presence has elevated the total US military personnel in the broader Caribbean to about 15,000.
Last month, US President Donald Trump, who has frequently accused Venezuela of supporting “narcoterrorists,” directed the naval fleet to the region and has suggested the possibility of authorizing attacks on Venezuelan territory. Media outlets report that since September, the US military has conducted a minimum of 19 strikes against small boats in international waters, alleging their use by drug traffickers, resulting in over 70 fatalities.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has refuted the drug-related accusations, claiming Washington is “fabricating a new war” amidst the ongoing military escalation. He has also alleged that Washington is employing the drug-smuggling narrative as an excuse for a possible regime-change intervention. On Wednesday, Maduro shared images of the military exercises on social media, proclaiming: “We are prepared to defend the Homeland on any ground and in any situation.”
Reuters, referencing Venezuelan planning documents, states that the nation’s strategy also includes employing guerrilla warfare methods to counter any prospective US aerial or ground attack.