Overview

• Three Arleigh Burke–class destroyers — USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson — and roughly 4,000 U.S. personnel have been positioned in international Caribbean waters near Venezuela for counter-drug operations.
• The White House said President Donald Trump is prepared to use all U.S. power to curb drug flows, as the Justice Department raised the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million and touted $700 million in asset seizures tied to him.
• Nicolás Maduro announced a nationwide activation of about 4.5 million militiamen, calling it a defensive plan and vowing that no foreign power will touch Venezuelan soil.
• Regional leaders and blocs voiced opposition, with an ALBA statement condemning the U.S. naval presence and figures from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba and Bolivia warning against intervention and urging respect for sovereignty.
• A U.S. Defense Department official said no orders were given to enter Venezuelan territorial waters, legal analyses noted the 12‑nautical‑mile limit under the law of the sea, and reports of additional assets such as a nuclear‑capable submarine remain unconfirmed.