Overview

• At a rare press conference, Nicolás Maduro claimed eight U.S. warships with 1,200 missiles are targeting Venezuela and said he would declare a “republic in arms” if the country is attacked.
• The U.S. presence has grown to include multiple destroyers, the cruiser USS Lake Erie, the fast-attack submarine USS Newport News, and an amphibious assault group bringing roughly 4,000–4,500 personnel to the southern Caribbean.
• Caracas has reinforced maritime patrols, deployed troops to the coast and the Colombian border, and urged Venezuelans to enlist in militias and reservist roles.
• Washington has not signaled any plan for a land incursion and recently doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million over alleged ties to drug trafficking.
• Regional reactions remain divided, with Mexico and Colombia criticizing the buildup, Guyana welcoming it, and Venezuela appealing to CELAC and the United Nations to press for a drawdown.