Venezuela bolsters border security amid US naval deployment in Caribbean

Venezuela has vowed to strengthen security along its border with Colombia in response to the deployment of US warships to the southern Caribbean under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The move has heightened tensions in the region as Caracas prepares for a possible escalation, Bloomberg reports.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced on August 25 that the Venezuelan government has dispatched 15,000 police and military personnel to the border states of Zulia and Táchira. These ground forces will be supported by an undisclosed number of boats, aircraft, and drones to monitor and secure the frontier.

“The president has ordered this deployment to guarantee peace,” Cabello stated during a press conference. “If they want to enter through the border, they won’t be able to.”

The US has sent three warships to the area, carrying more than 4,000 sailors and Marines, as part of a broader campaign to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean basin. President Trump has alarmed many Latin American leaders by reportedly directing the Department of Defense to prepare for possible military operations in the region.

Cabello called on neighboring Colombia to enhance its border security measures as well, emphasizing the close ties between the two nations. “We have great relations,” he said, underscoring the need for coordinated efforts to safeguard the border.

Despite initially dismissing reports of the US naval deployment, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro urged citizens to unite and bolster local militias. State television has since launched advertising campaigns promoting militia enlistment, signaling Caracas’s intent to mobilize civilian defence groups amid rising regional tensions.

By Vafa Guliyeva