Overview
- U.S. officials say three Aegis destroyers — USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson — have been assigned to the region, with multiple outlets reporting they are heading toward waters off Venezuela.
- A Defense Department official told CNN there are currently no U.S. ships in the area and no orders have been issued to send them, underscoring uncertainty about timing and disposition.
- Reporting points to additional assets, including an amphibious ready group with roughly 4,000 personnel, P-8 patrol aircraft and a submarine, though some movements are characterized as part of longer-term or routine deployments.
- Maduro announced activation of more than 4.5 million militia members nationwide and imposed a temporary ban on drones, denouncing U.S. actions as threats to Venezuela’s sovereignty.
- The administration doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million and says it has seized over $700 million in assets tied to him, as regional leaders such as Mexico’s president reject the idea of U.S. military intervention.