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| Venezuelan troops mobilize amid US naval deployment. |
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has mobilized 25,000 troops to secure borders and coastal areas following a United States naval deployment to the Caribbean. The move comes amid rising tensions between both nations over a recent US military strike on a boat near Venezuela and drug trafficking allegations .
The US military presence includes eight warships with approximately 4,500 sailors and Marines. The deployment also includes a nuclear-powered submarine and ten F-35 stealth fighter jets sent to Puerto Rico for operations against drug cartels. US officials say this buildup targets Latin American drug trafficking organizations .
Venezuela's government claims the US is using drug enforcement as an excuse for military intervention. Maduro accused Washington of seeking "regime change through military threat" and called the naval deployment the biggest threat to the continent in a century .
The situation escalated on September 2 when US forces conducted a strike on a speedboat in international waters. The Pentagon said the vessel was carrying drugs and had departed from Venezuela. Eleven people died in the operation .
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the strike, saying this strategy "will happen again" as part of President Donald Trump's effort to combat drug cartels. Trump has compared drug-related deaths to wartime casualties, saying "We're not going to allow it to happen" .
Venezuelan officials questioned the US account of the boat incident. Foreign Minister Yván Gil said there was no clarity about what happened, calling Washington's narrative an attempt to "legitimize an illegal action." Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated that local investigations found none of the victims were Tren de Aragua gang members as alleged by US officials .
The Trump administration doubled its reward for Maduro's arrest to $50 million in August over drug trafficking allegations. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Maduro "effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state" .
Maduro denied all accusations, insisting Venezuela is "completely free from the phenomenon of drug trafficking." He instead accused the US of hosting real cartels and mafias while using false narratives to justify aggression .
Despite the tensions, both sides have expressed interest in dialogue. Maduro said he respects Trump and that Venezuela has "damaged but open" communication channels with Washington. The US president stated he is "not talking about regime change" while criticizing Venezuela's 2024 election as "very strange" .
Venezuela has received international support from Iran. President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged full support for Venezuela's territorial integrity, saying Iran "strongly condemns any aggression against countries' territorial integrity" .
The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) expressed "deep concern" about the military deployment in the region. The group called for respect for the peace zone decreed in 2014 .
US lawmakers have questioned the legal justification for the boat strike. Democratic senators said the administration provided "no legitimate legal justification" for the action. Senator Jack Reed noted that armed forces "are not empowered to hunt down suspected criminals and kill them without trial" .
Maduro has taken unusual domestic measures during the crisis. He declared that Christmas would begin on October 1 this year to bring "joy" to Venezuelans. He also called on citizens to join armed militias to defend the nation .
As tensions continue, Maduro vowed to declare a "republic in arms" if attacked. He said Venezuela seeks peace but is prepared for armed struggle in defense of its territory .
The United Nations human rights office has criticized both countries. It has accused Venezuela's government of human rights abuses and political repression while the US faces questions about the legality of its military strike .