Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro dismissed the possibility of a US invasion, asserting that US troops could not enter Venezuela after the US dispatched five warships and 4,000 troops to the Caribbean. The US stated that the deployment near Venezuela’s waters is part of an anti-drug trafficking mission.
In response, Venezuela has deployed warships and drones to patrol its coastline and initiated a campaign to recruit militia members to enhance its defenses. Maduro emphasized that Venezuela is well-prepared to safeguard its peace, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, declaring that the US would not be able to penetrate the country.
While the US has not publicly threatened an invasion, Maduro, who secured a controversial third term in July 2024, has been a target of US President Donald Trump’s administration since Trump’s first term. Trump’s focus on Venezuela has centered on combating powerful gangs, some of which operate in the US.
Accusing Maduro of leading a cocaine trafficking group called Cartel de los Soles, labeled a terrorist organization by the Trump administration, the US has increased the bounty for Maduro’s capture to $50 million to face drug-related charges. Maduro, who assumed office after Hugo Chavez in 2013, has accused Trump of aiming for regime change.
Maduro’s administration frequently alleges that the opposition and foreign entities, including the CIA, are conspiring with the US to harm Venezuela, claims that the opposition and the US consistently deny. The government refers to sanctions as an “economic war” and has urged civil defense groups to undergo training sessions on Fridays and Saturdays.