The U.S. has deployed a major naval force to the southern Caribbean, including ships, Marines, aircraft, and submarines, while conducting amphibious landing exercises in Puerto Rico.

Though officially framed as training, the buildup comes amid escalating tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the Trump administration labels a “narco-terrorist” and has offered a $50 million reward for.

The deployment follows a U.S. strike on a Venezuela-linked drug boat, signaling a sharper military approach to narcotics interdiction, TWZ has reported.

Maduro has denounced the U.S. presence as a grave threat and mobilized millions of militia members and thousands of troops, warning of readiness to repel an attack.