CARACAS – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced the deployment of 4.5 million militia members across the country in response to what he described as “threats” from the United States. The announcement came after Washington increased the reward for his arrest and expanded anti-drug operations in the Caribbean. 

Speaking on state television, Maduro said the move is aimed at ensuring military coverage across Venezuela’s entire national territory. “We will defend our sea, our land, and our sovereignty,” the president declared. 

Escalating U.S. pressure 

Earlier this month, the U.S. government under President Donald Trump doubled the reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. Washington accuses the Venezuelan leader of leading a criminal network known as the Cartel de los Soles, allegedly involved in large-scale cocaine trafficking. 

In addition, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions last month targeting both Maduro’s government and the cartel. The U.S. military has since deployed several warships to the southern Caribbean as part of its crackdown on Latin American drug cartels. 

Regional tensions rise 

The mobilization of millions of militia members is the latest move in the escalating standoff between Caracas and Washington. The presence of U.S. naval forces in the Caribbean, combined with Venezuela’s military buildup, has fueled regional concerns about potential instability or confrontation just off the coasts of neighboring islands, including Aruba and Curaçao.