The Nicolás Maduro regime announced Sunday a large-scale military mobilization near Venezuela’s border and coastal regions, citing the need to combat drug trafficking — even as U.S. officials accuse Maduro and his top brass of leading the country’s drug trade themselves.

From a military bunker, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said that 25,000 troops have been deployed to the western states of Táchira and Zulia, which border Colombia. Venezuelan forces are now conducting operations in the Sierra de Perijá region to detect illegal coca cultivation and patrolling rivers in Apure state to disrupt smuggling routes. According to Padrino, the military is equipped with river patrol units, naval assets, drones, and other tactical resources.

The announcement comes as Washington and several Latin

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