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US-Venezuela Crisis: Maduro deploys 17,000 troops near Colombian border
The Venezuelan government has reinforced its military presence in border states with Colombia, launching maneuvers involving 17,000 soldiers, in response to the deployment of US warships in the Caribbean, AFP journalists reported on Thursday.
Washington has positioned seven warships in the Caribbean and another in the Gulf of Mexico, officially as part of an anti-narcotics operation that targets Venezuela and its president Nicolás Maduro.
US President Donald Trump, who has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela, has claimed responsibility for at least five strikes on vessels, resulting in at least 27 deaths, including six fatalities in the latest operation announced Tuesday. AFP could not independently verify these figures.
President Nicolás Maduro, who denies any involvement in drug trafficking, called the US military presence a “threat” and ordered massive military exercises involving thousands of troops across the country.
Local authorities in the Táchira and Amazonas states announced on Thursday the deployment of patrols and security checks at border crossings with Colombia.
In Táchira, where the three main bridges connect Venezuela with Colombia, forces were deployed around the Simón Bolívar International Bridge, linking the Colombian cities of Cúcuta and Villa del Rosario to the Venezuelan town of San Antonio, AFP observed.
According to General Michell Valladares, commander of the Integral Defense Operational Zone (Zodi) in Táchira, 17,000 soldiers have been mobilized.
In the Amazonas region, bordering Brazil, troops spread throughout the area to protect “strategic enterprises” and “essential services,” said General Lionel Sojo, head of the local Zodi command.
These operations aim to “raise the level of operational readiness” of the armed forces and ensure the integration of the “armed people,” according to Venezuelan military officials.
The government also maintains military deployments along its coastal areas.
Following the most recent maritime attack, the Trinidad and Tobago police announced that it was investigating the possible deaths of two of its nationals.