Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has mobilised millions of militia members as it prepares for a possible invasion by the United States of America. Venezuela is on high alert after US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of warships and Marines just outside the South American country’s territorial waters.
The US Deployment near Venezuela
The US has sent out three Arleigh Burke-class Destroyers; The USS Sampson, the USS Gravely and the USS Jason Dunham. Each warship contains a 96-cell vertical launch system, which can carry a range of weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and ASROC, Anti-Submarine Rocket missiles. The Destroyers also host MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, which have surveillance, anti-submarine and strike capabilities. And the American deployment doesn’t end there.
Washington has also sent out the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. The group includes two San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships, the USS Fort Lauderdale, and the original USS San Antonio itself. They are accompanying the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, the USS Iwo Jima. The USS Iwo Jima can carry F-35 stealth fighter jets, and a range of support aircraft, like the MV-22B Osprey. The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is reportedly carrying 4,500 sailors, and 2,200 US Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit; the most decorated unit in the US Marine Corps. Along with this, the US is mobilising P-8 Poseidon spy planes, and at least one nuclear-powered, attack submarine.
Maduro Mobilises Venezuelan Militia
Nicolas Maduro says that the US is planning to invade Venezuela to topple his government. To counter the threat, Maduro says he is mobilising 4.5 million members of Venezuela’s militia. The Bolivarian Militia of Venezuela is a paramilitary force comprising of reservists and volunteers. Maduro launched a mass recruitment drive over the weekend to bolster the militia’s numbers ahead of any possible US attack. Thousands are signing up to protect their homeland from an American invasion.
The US has a $50 million bounty on Maduro. Washington recently declared that the Venezuelan President is the head of the Cartel de los Soles, which is a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. A terrorist designation, a bounty and now the troop deployment. Is Washington doing all this to try and pressure Venezuela into cracking down on the flow of drugs to the US? Or is US President Donald Trump actually planning to invade the South American nation?
