Venezuela has completed a comprehensive national defense plan in response to a significant U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, President Nicolás Maduro announced on Saturday. The move escalates tensions between the two nations, with the U.S. conducting a campaign of lethal strikes on vessels and authorizing covert CIA operations, actions that have drawn condemnation from regional leaders and international legal experts .
President Maduro announced the completion of "all the country's integrated defense zones" and initiated a new military exercise, dubbed "Independence 200" . This mobilization includes the repositioning of soldiers at the country's borders and the involvement of police, civil protection staff, and civilian militia members . The government has also begun training civilians for combat, with Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López telling citizens to "prepare for the worst" in the face of what he termed a "serious threat" from the United States . The exercises and troop movements are described by analysts as being relevant to a potential conflict, involving measures such as evacuation drills and the securing of military assets .
The Trump administration has significantly intensified its military pressure on Venezuela, deploying eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, and B-52 bombers that have flown off the Venezuelan coast . The core of this campaign has been a series of at least six strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea that the U.S. says were trafficking drugs, resulting in the deaths of at least 27 people . In a recent strike, the U.S. military detained two survivors, marking the first time individuals have been taken into custody following these attacks . President Trump has publicly confirmed he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and stated the U.S. is "looking at land" for potential future strikes .
The U.S. military campaign has reportedly caused friction within the Pentagon. Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, the head of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) overseeing the operations, announced his unexpected retirement less than a year into a typically three-year posting . While no reason was officially given, sources indicate that tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and concerns about the lawfulness of the strikes contributed to his departure . Internally, military lawyers and international law experts within the Department of Defense have raised concerns about the legality of the lethal strikes .
Legal scholars have been vocal in their criticism, with several experts stating the attacks on foreign vessels in international waters likely violate international law . UN-appointed human rights experts have labeled the strikes "extrajudicial executions" . The U.S. government's legal justification, which argues that drug traffickers pose an imminent threat and can be treated as enemy combatants, has been described by Prof. Michael Becker of Trinity College Dublin as stretching the meaning of self-defense "beyond its breaking point" .
The U.S. actions have drawn strong reactions from within the region. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for a criminal process to be opened against Trump over the strikes and stated he believes Colombian citizens were among the deceased . Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago are also investigating the deaths of two of its nationals in one of the attacks . The U.S. government has not provided evidence regarding the identities of those killed or detailed proof of drug trafficking for each strike .
Venezuela has appealed to the UN Security Council, seeking a declaration that the U.S. strikes are illegal . The country's foreign minister, Yvan Gil Pinto, told the UN General Assembly that an "illegal and completely immoral military threat" hangs over Venezuela, accusing the U.S. of using lies to justify a threat aimed at seizing the country's oil and gas wealth .