Overview

• At a rare press conference, Nicolás Maduro claimed eight U.S. warships with 1,200 missiles and a submarine are targeting Venezuela and called the posture an “absolutely criminal, bloody threat.”
• Maduro vowed to “declare a republic in arms” if attacked as his government deploys troops to coastal and border areas and urges mass enlistment in civilian militias.
• U.S. officials list multiple Navy assets in the region — destroyers USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson, cruiser USS Lake Erie and a fast‑attack submarine — with amphibious ships carrying more than 4,000 sailors and Marines expected to enter the area this week.
• The White House frames the operation as counternarcotics and denies plans for a land invasion, while the U.S. has doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture to $50 million over drug‑trafficking allegations.
• Regional reaction is split, with Guyana welcoming the U.S. presence and several governments, along with China and Russia, criticizing the buildup as tensions and the risk of miscalculation rise.