Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro launched a major military mobilization on Friday as Caracas braces for what officials describe as an increasing likelihood of a U.S. attack.
Maduro ordered the activation of the “Independence 200 Plan” in the Carabobo and La Guaira Integral Defense Zones along Venezuela’s northern coast. The plan includes deploying air defense systems around Caracas and key coastal areas, mobilizing roughly one million troops—including reserves from the National Bolivarian Militia—and conducting nationwide readiness drills to secure vital infrastructure.
Two major highways leading into the capital were also reported to be blockaded, while Venezuelan airspace has been restricted. Tank traps and anti-vehicle obstacles have been positioned in urban areas, particularly around Caracas, to prepare for a potential ground incursion.
Reports from local media and social networks indicated that Venezuelan forces have taken control of airports, with videos showing air defense batteries being deployed around the capital.
At the diplomatic level, Venezuela formally requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council, accusing the Trump administration of plotting “regime change” and warning of an “armed attack” expected “in a very short time.”
Tensions have been escalating since late August when the U.S. deployed a major naval and air force contingent to the Caribbean and northern South America, officially under the guise of counter-narcotics operations. The task force includes missile-guided destroyers, attack submarines, stealth fighter jets, and ships carrying over 4,500 Marines. Since then, the U.S. military has attacked at least four Venezuelan vessels it claimed were involved in drug smuggling.
Analysts note that Washington’s recent decision to end diplomatic contacts with Caracas—after Trump ordered his envoy Richard Grenell to halt communications—signals that a confrontation may be imminent.
The situation took another seemingly too-coincidental turn on Friday when Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a move widely seen as an attempt to further legitimize her internationally as the U.S. increases pressure to remove Maduro from power.