Venezuela Mobilizes Millions After U.S. Strike on Suspected Drug Vessel: Rising Tensions Stir Fears of Escalation

 

By Joylyne Lopokoit

 In the sweltering heat of a Caracas afternoon, María Delgado stands on the sidewalk outside her modest bakery, watching a group of young men in camouflage file past with stern faces and worn boots. They’re part of what the Venezuelan government now calls its “militia force” — ordinary citizens turned weekend soldiers.

“They were just boys from the neighborhood,” she says quietly, brushing flour from her apron. “Now they talk about defending the country with rifles.”

In the wake of the sixth U.S. strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel, President Nicolás Maduro’s government has responded with a massive show of force, activating what it calls 284 “battle fronts” and mobilizing an estimated 4.5 million militia members nationwide.

The strikes, part of a U.S. campaign against what it labels “Narco-terrorist operations,” targeted a vessel believed to be tied to Venezuela’s expanding role in regional drug trafficking. Washington has long accused Maduro’s government of working hand-in-hand with criminal networks, charges Caracas fiercely denies.

In a nationally televised address, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López framed the move as an act of national self-defense.

“We will not allow imperialist powers to threaten our people or our borders,” he said, standing flanked by high-ranking generals. “Every citizen is now a soldier of the homeland.”

A Military Parade or a Warning?

Across the country, scenes of uniformed civilians marching in formation, clutching rifles and waving Venezuelan flags, have become a common sight. State media shows glowing images of elderly women and teenage students in fatigues, training in city plazas and rural fields alike. But behind the patriotic optics, there’s a growing sense of unease.

“I’m not a fighter, I’m a teacher,” said Diego Morales, a 33-year-old from Maracaibo who was recently drafted into his local militia group. “But they told us we have to be ready. That we might be called to defend the country.”

The Maduro government claims the buildup is purely defensive, aimed at safeguarding Venezuelan sovereignty and deterring foreign aggression. But analysts warn it may signal a hardening of Venezuela’s posture amid deepening diplomatic isolation.

Silence from Washington

The U.S. government has not issued a formal response to Venezuela’s military mobilization. However, American officials continue to maintain that Maduro’s administration enables transnational crime and destabilizes the region.

A senior official at the State Department, speaking on background, told reporters last week that “the strikes are targeted, legal, and part of an international effort to curb narcotics trafficking that harms communities across the Americas.”

But critics say the actions — including covert operations and limited military strikes — have only escalated tensions without offering a diplomatic off-ramp.

“The two governments are locked in a cycle of provocation and retaliation,” said Beatriz Rangel, a former Venezuelan government advisor now based in Miami. “There’s no trust, and no one’s talking about peace — only power.”

A Nation on Edge

Inside Venezuela, the move to militarize civilians is being met with a mix of patriotic fervor, quiet resistance, and growing anxiety.

“There’s a real fear,” says Carla Ramos, a nurse in Valencia. “Not just of war — but of what it would mean for people who already have nothing. No power, no medicine, and now maybe, no peace.”

While international leaders call for calm and renewed diplomatic talks, the atmosphere in both Caracas and Washington remains tense. With six strikes behind it and no clear resolution in sight, the U.S. campaign — and Venezuela’s defiant response — may be steering both nations toward an unpredictable crossroads.