Overview

• Three Aegis-equipped destroyers — USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson — are set to reach waters near Venezuela within hours as part of the U.S. anti-cartel mission, according to Reuters.
• The Pentagon has already deployed more than 4,000 Marines with three amphibious ships — including USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort Lauderdale and USS San Antonio — plus P-8 reconnaissance planes, a nuclear attack submarine, other destroyers and a missile cruiser.
• Nicolás Maduro announced a special plan to activate 4.5 million militia members nationwide, framing the U.S. measures as extravagant threats against Venezuela.
• Cuba and Venezuela condemned the buildup as a pretext for aggression, Mexico confirmed U.S. vessels operating in international waters while stressing sovereignty, and Guatemala rejected U.S. claims that its airspace is used in a Venezuela-linked trafficking corridor.
• Washington intensified legal pressure with a $50 million Justice Department reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture, and media reports say officials have prepared target lists for potential drone strikes.