As US warships approach Caribbean waters, Maduro mobilizes 4.5 million militias

In response to an increased U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro announced that his government will activate a special plan to mobilize more than 4.5 million militia members across the country to “defend national sovereignty.”

The announcement follows reports that three U.S. Navy destroyers — the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson — are heading to the southern Caribbean with thousands of Marines aboard as part of a major counternarcotics operation. The move coincides with Washington’s recent decision to raise the bounty for Maduro’s capture to an unprecedented $50 million.

Maduro and several of his top allies have been indicted by U.S. prosecutors for allegedly turning Venezuela into a narco-state through the so-called “Cartel of the Suns.”