Overview

• The United States has positioned an amphibious squadron with three guided‑missile destroyers and roughly 4,000 to 4,500 personnel near Venezuela, with anonymous officials reporting a cruiser and a fast‑attack submarine are expected next week.
• Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino announced coastal patrols using navy vessels and a “significant” drone contingent, including larger ships operating farther north in national waters.
• President Nicolás Maduro ordered 15,000 troops to the Colombia border and activated militia mobilizations, as authorities said they dismantled shipyards intended to build semisubmersibles for drug smuggling.
• Caracas filed a request at the United Nations to seek an immediate halt to the U.S. deployment and flagged concerns over the reported presence of a nuclear‑powered submarine.
• Washington has designated Venezuela‑linked trafficking networks as terrorist entities and raised the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.