Venezuela deploys warships, drones as US military presence draws near

Venezuela announced on Tuesday that it has dispatched naval vessels and surveillance drones to guard its Caribbean coast, a move taken in response to the growing presence of US forces in the region.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino revealed the deployment in a video statement posted online, calling it a “significant” step that includes “larger vessels further north in our territorial waters.”

The action follows Washington’s decision last week to send three destroyers and 4,000 Marines toward Venezuela under the stated goal of curbing drug trafficking.

According to a US official who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity, the build-up is set to intensify with two additional American ships heading toward the Caribbean: the guided missile cruiser USS Erie and the nuclear-powered fast attack submarine USS Newport News. Both are expected to arrive next week.

Despite the military maneuvers, analysts caution that the risk of direct conflict remains limited.

“I think what we're seeing represents an attempt to create anxiety in government circles and force Maduro to negotiate something,” said Phil Gunson, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group.

On the ground in Venezuela, many citizens have dismissed the deployments as little more than political theater.

- What's going on between the US and Venezuela? -

President Nicolás Maduro, who claimed a third term in 2024 amid accusations of electoral fraud and suppression of dissent, has been a longstanding target of US pressure. President Donald Trump’s first administration imposed sweeping sanctions, including an oil embargo, but those measures failed to remove Maduro from office.

Since Trump’s return to the White House in January, his administration has intensified its campaign against Maduro, portraying him as the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, a drug trafficking network that Washington has labeled a terrorist group. The United States has also raised its reward for Maduro’s capture to USD 50 million on narcotics charges.

Caracas, meanwhile, has denounced the US actions as an attempt at regime change. The Venezuelan government has launched a push to recruit thousands of new militia members and on Tuesday formally appealed to the United Nations, calling for “the immediate cessation of the US military deployment in the Caribbean.”