Is War Approaching? Venezuela Deploys Warships and Drones in Response to U.S. Moves

Venezuela announced on Tuesday the deployment of warships and drones in its territorial waters, following Washington’s decision to send several destroyers to the Caribbean region.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino stated in a recorded video message that Caracas had dispatched “naval patrols to the Gulf of Venezuela, as well as larger ships to the northern part of our territorial waters,” in addition to “deploying a significant number of drones on multiple missions.”

This show of force comes a day after Caracas announced the mobilization of 15,000 security personnel along its border with Colombia, as part of operations to combat drug trafficking.

Last week, Washington had revealed that three missile-launching destroyers had been deployed in the area.

On Tuesday, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that beyond these destroyers, Washington had also deployed a guided missile cruiser and a fast nuclear-powered attack submarine.

Several U.S. media outlets further reported that the Pentagon was considering sending 4,000 Marines to the Caribbean region, off the Venezuelan coast.

Caracas denounced these U.S. measures as an “escalation of hostilities.”

The confrontation between Caracas and Washington is longstanding but has intensified under President Donald Trump, who increased pressure on his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro. The United States refused to recognize Maduro’s 2024 re-election and expanded sanctions and threats against his government.

The U.S. administration even raised to $50 million the reward offered for any information leading to Maduro’s arrest, accusing him of heading a “cartel based on narco-terrorism.”

In response, senior Venezuelan officials have insisted that the country will stand firm against “American aggression.” Maduro announced the activation of a “special plan with more than 4.5 million armed fighters,” condemning what he described as a U.S. attempt at “regime change” and a “military terrorist assault.”