Under U.S. Threat, Maduro Mobilizes 4 Million Militia

Darwin, August 20 — In response to new “threats” from the United States, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced the deployment of over 4 million militia members. The move comes after Washington increased the bounty for his arrest and launched a new anti-narcotics operation in the Caribbean region, according to Al Jazeera.

In a televised address on Monday, Maduro stated, “This week I will activate a special plan involving more than 4.5 million militia members… The militias are ready, mobilized, and armed.”

The Venezuelan militia force was originally established by former President Hugo Chávez. While the government claims it includes around 5 million members, analysts suggest the actual number is significantly lower. Venezuela’s total population is approximately 30 million.

Condemning what he called Washington’s “exaggerated, bizarre, and absurd threats,” Maduro made his remarks shortly after the Trump administration doubled the bounty on his arrest to $50 million, accusing him of leading a cocaine trafficking ring known as the “Cartel de los Soles.”

At the same time, as part of a broader operation against Latin American drug cartels, the U.S. military has deployed three guided-missile destroyers to the southern Caribbean. According to Reuters, the warships — USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson — are expected to arrive near Venezuela’s coast within days, with nearly 4,000 sailors and marines participating in the mission.

In response, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello declared, “We are deployed across the Caribbean… in our waters, on our property, on Venezuelan territory.”

Facing increasing pressure, Maduro called on his political base to expand the labor and farmer militia forces and pledged to equip them with “rifles and missiles” to defend the nation’s sovereignty.

Despite mounting tensions, Maduro expressed gratitude for international support against U.S. actions.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum recently rejected U.S. allegations linking Maduro to the Mexican Sinaloa cartel, stating,
“Her government has found no evidence of such a connection.”