Venezuela has announced a massive military mobilization in response to the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States’ largest aircraft carrier, to the Caribbean Sea, a move Caracas has condemned as an “imperialist threat.”
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López recently stated that the country’s land, air, naval, and reserve forces have begun coordinated exercises expected to continue through Wednesday. He described the operations as a direct response to the growing U.S. military presence in the region, aimed at enhancing Venezuela’s “command, control, and communication” capabilities.
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“The Bolivarian National Armed Forces, along with the Bolivarian Militia and our people, stand ready to defend the homeland,” Padrino López declared, attributing the order to President Nicolás Maduro.
The exercises form part of Maduro’s “Independence Plan 200,” a civic-military initiative integrating the armed forces with militia and police units to strengthen national defense. The Bolivarian Militia, a reserve force made up of civilians and founded by the late President Hugo Chávez will play a key role in the drills.
The announcement follows confirmation from the U.S. Navy that the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has entered the U.S. Southern Command area of operations, which encompasses Latin America and the Caribbean. The Ford, commissioned in 2017, is accompanied by nine air squadrons, two guided-missile destroyers, the USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan, and the command ship USS Winston S. Churchill, carrying over 4,000 sailors.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the carrier’s redeployment from Europe late last month, citing counter-narcotics efforts as justification. The Pentagon said the deployment is intended to “disrupt narcotics trafficking and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.”
Caracas, however, accuses Washington of using anti-drug operations as a pretext for regime change. Venezuelan officials believe the build-up aims to destabilize the Maduro government, a claim some former U.S. officials have privately conceded aligns with long-standing policy goals.
The latest move adds to an already significant U.S. presence in the Caribbean. In addition to the Ford strike group, the region currently hosts the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, and other naval assets, totaling more than 15,000 U.S. personnel.
The U.S. has also stationed 10 F-35 fighter jets, three MQ-9 Reaper drones, and roughly 5,000 troops in Puerto Rico, which has become a key operational hub. In recent weeks, American bombers have conducted several training missions near Venezuelan airspace, including an “attack demonstration” off the coast in late October.
Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Forces are believed to include about 123,000 active personnel, while Maduro claims to have over 8 million reservists through the Bolivarian Militia. However, defense analysts have questioned both the accuracy of those numbers and the militia’s level of training.
With tensions escalating, the presence of the Ford, the most advanced warship in the U.S. fleet, underscores Washington’s increasing focus on the region and raises fears of a deepening standoff between the two countries.
