Venezuela has launched a large-scale military mobilization in response to a growing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the exercises, ordered by President Nicolás Maduro, involve land, air, naval, and reserve forces, including the civilian Bolivarian Militia, to strengthen national defense and communications.

The move follows the arrival of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group, adding to roughly 15,000 American personnel now in the region.

While Washington says the buildup targets drug trafficking, Caracas accuses the U.S. of seeking regime change, citing Trump administration comments and CIA activity in Venezuela, CNN has reported.

The mobilization forms part of Maduro’s “Independence Plan 200,” combining military, police, and militia forces to counter what he calls an “imperialist threat.”