Overview

• The Pentagon confirmed deployment of more than 4,000 Marines and three amphibious ships into international waters in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of an operation targeting drug cartels.
• Reuters reported three Aegis destroyers — USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson — are expected off Venezuela within roughly 36 hours, alongside P-8 patrol aircraft and at least one attack submarine, with operations planned in international waters over months.
• Nicolás Maduro announced a “special plan” to mobilize 4.5 million militiamen across Venezuela, casting the U.S. moves as threats and vowing to defend the country’s territory.
• Cuba’s foreign minister denounced the U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean as aggression and urged respect for the region as a “zone of peace,” reflecting pushback from allied governments.
• Washington paired the buildup with legal pressure, including a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture, while key trafficking claims such as an alleged “air bridge” were disputed by Guatemala.