Overview
- Three Aegis destroyers — USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson — are moving toward Venezuelan waters, according to reports, with a U.S. official confirming the deployment to AFP.
- Caracas has mobilized militias, put naval patrols on alert, activated air-defense systems and restricted drone sales in response to what it calls an imperialist threat.
- Reporting describes a large footprint that includes several thousand personnel, patrol aircraft and at least one submarine, with some estimates citing roughly 4,000–4,500 forces and costs near $6 million per day.
- Washington frames the move within a broader crackdown that labeled certain Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organizations and raised the reward for information leading to Nicolás Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.
- U.S. officials say operations will remain in international waters and airspace, while public statements detailing the deployment remain limited despite the AFP confirmation.