Overview

• President Nicolás Maduro activated phased operations through ZODI and ODDI, moving from five coastal states to Anzoátegui, Monagas and Bolívar.
• Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said 27 simultaneous tasks are underway to prevent strategic paralysis, including checks on food stocks, hospital capacity, communications and port patrols.
• The exercise integrates the armed forces with police and civilian volunteers, with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urging active and prolonged resistance and saying the weapons are with the people.
• Venezuela portrays the US presence near its coast as a regime‑change threat, while Washington describes its deployment as a counter‑narcotics operation.
• Caracas lodged a complaint at the UN Security Council alleging a planned US attack in the short term, as some opinion commentary speculates about imminent intervention and reports unverified claims of deadly incidents at sea.