The U.S. has deployed a large number of special-operations aircraft, troops, and equipment to the Caribbean, increasing military options against Venezuela.

President Trump has escalated pressure on Nicolás Maduro, imposing a blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers and leaving airstrikes on the table.

Elite units, including CV-22 Ospreys, Army Rangers, and special-operations forces, have been prepositioned, signaling Washington may already have a course of action planned.

Additional U.S. military assets, including F-35 fighters, electronic warfare planes, helicopters, warships, and an aircraft carrier group, have also been moved to the region, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

Venezuela condemned the tanker seizures as theft, accusing the U.S. of attempting regime change and resource plundering.