Maduro praised the country’s mobilization in defense of sovereignty and peace. (CNN)
Lisbon, Portugal, September 11, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) began large-scale military drills in the face of US threats and naval deployment in the Caribbean.
President Nicolás Maduro announced the “Independencia 200” plan on Thursday morning as part of a “comprehensive defense” concept.
“We have to ensure that our coastline is free from invaders and violent groups,” he said during a televised address. “These waters, these lands, these resources belong to the Venezuelan people; they will never belong to the US empire.”
Maduro praised Venezuela’s mobilization capacity and vowed that no foreign power would threaten the Caribbean nation’s sovereignty and peace. This latest military exercise follows a recent ramped-up deployment across the country’s land and sea borders.
The Venezuelan armed forces, authorities and people have mobilized in response to a significant US naval deployment to the Caribbean Sea, on the edge of the country’s territorial waters, under a purported anti-narcotics mission.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López provided further details of the nationwide “Independencia 200” exercise, including the mobilization of artillery, air force and naval units.
“We have also defined tasks for special forces and assigned patrol areas to naval and air assets,” he stated in a press conference, explaining that the armed forces will prioritize 284 critical points such as airports, ports and industrial sites.
The military exercises will likewise involve the Bolivarian Militia. The numbers for the voluntary corps have swelled in recent weeks after Venezuelans have massively signed up for potential enlistment. The Militia will reportedly develop territorial defense plans alongside popular power organizations.
The US Navy’s presence includes a nuclear-propelled submarine and eight warships, as well as 4,000 troops. The Pentagon announced a further deployment of 10 F-35 fighters following unconfirmed reports that Venezuelan F-16 jets had flown close to a US destroyer last week.
On September 2, US forces struck a speedboat that was allegedly en route to Trinidad and Tobago from Venezuela, with Trump and other officials claiming that it was carrying drugs. The attack reportedly killed 11 people on board. The US president has hinted at further strikes, including inside Venezuelan territory.
Washington’s military buildup in the Caribbean followed the administration’s decision to increase the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. This was part of a “narco trafficking” indictment issued by a New York court in March 2020, which followed an initial reward of up to $15 million offered by the State Department. The legality of Washington’s indictment of a foreign leader has been questioned for being politically motivated, as well as contravening the UN Charter and principles of sovereignty.
The White House has also accused senior Venezuelan officials of leading the so-called “Cartel de los Soles.”
However, US authorities have not provided any court-backed evidence to prove the “Cartel de los Soles’” existence or any involvement of Venezuelan officials in drug trafficking activities. Reports from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have described Venezuela as having a marginal role in drug trafficking, with less than 10 percent of US-bound cocaine flowing through its territory.
Latin American leaders, including Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Brazil’s Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva, have condemned Washington’s military escalation as a threat to peace in the region.
War Powers Resolution
The Trump administration’s September 2 strike has sparked allegations in Washington that the strike on the vessel in the Caribbean constituted an extrajudicial execution in international waters.
The White House claimed that the boat’s occupants belonged to Tren de Aragua, an outfit classified as a foreign terrorist organization, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arguing that any drug-carrying boat amounted to an “imminent threat.” However, officials have not provided any evidence about the vessel’s occupants or cargo.
The lethal attack has drawn further scrutiny following a New York Times report stating that the speedboat had turned around after spotting US aircraft, according to anonymous US officials. The boat was then repeatedly hit until it sank.
Several US politicians have expressed opposition to the administration’s expanded and unilateral military actions. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar introduced a war powers resolution on Thursday in an effort to deter future strikes in the Caribbean.
“There was no legal justification for the Trump Administration’s military escalation in the Caribbean,” Omar told The Intercept. “It was not self-defense or authorized by Congress.”
US Senator Rand Paul revealed that drones struck the boat, while The Intercept reported that, according to US military sources, some of the vessel’s occupants survived the initial strike before being killed in a follow-up attack.
Edited by José Luis Granados Ceja in Mexico City, Mexico.
