Airplanes sent to American ships; Maduro called for mobilization: More than eight million people ready?

"Today, two military planes of the Maduro regime flew near US warships in international waters. This is an extremely provocative move, clearly aimed at disrupting our operations against narcotics and terrorism," the Pentagon statement on Platform X states.

The US military warned the authorities in Caracas to refrain from similar provocations in the future.

"The cartel that governs Venezuela is warned in the strongest possible terms not to try to hinder, detain or in any way threaten the actions of the US military aimed at combating drug trafficking and terrorism," the US Department of Defense said.

The US military has deployed more than 4,000 marines to waters around Latin America and the Caribbean in recent weeks as part of a stepped-up effort to combat drug cartels, most of which have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by US President Donald Trump's administration.

Maduro calls for mobilization

The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, today called on citizens who joined the Bolivar Militia in the last two weeks to respond to the "first activation" for the defense of the country.

"We will hold the first activation of all those who signed up, the entire National Militia and reservists, to join a major organizational and mobilization action of forces, for the first time in the country's military history," Maduro said, according to CNN Español.

Maduro stated that the goal of the mobilization is to include 8.2 million people, according to the data he presented, and added that the recruitment campaign will be permanent from now on.

Maduro JUAN BARRETO / AFP / Profimedia

"You, citizen of Venezuela, you, citizen, beloved compatriots who love this country and are ready to defend it, for the sake of your family, community, history and dignity, now have permanent access to the Patria system," Maduro stressed.

He made the call at a time of heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States, after Washington announced on Tuesday that it had destroyed an alleged drug vessel that had left Venezuelan territory and was moving through Caribbean waters.

Before that, the US announced the deployment of warships in the Caribbean Sea as part of operations against drug smuggling, which Caracas sees as a threat.

In response, the authorities initiated the registration of citizens to the Bolívar Militia.

This formation of reservists was founded in 2005, during the time of President Hugo Chávez, under the name of the General Command of the National Reserve and National Mobilization, and in 2009 it was renamed the Bolívar Militia.