Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has firmly rejected Washington’s latest military provocations in the Caribbean, declaring that there is “no way” U.S. forces can invade Venezuela.

His remarks come as a U.S. naval force, including warships and a nuclear-powered submarine, builds up near Venezuelan territorial waters under the guise of a so-called “anti-drug operation.”

Addressing troops during military exercises on Thursday, President Maduro reassured the nation of its readiness to repel any foreign aggression.

“There’s no way they can enter Venezuela,” Maduro said. “Today, we are stronger than yesterday. Today, we are more prepared to defend peace, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

Standing alongside Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and First Lady Cilia Flores, Maduro gave a symbolic thumbs-up to the Venezuelan armed forces, praising their preparedness and determination.

At the same time, Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, lodged a formal protest with UN Secretary-General António Guterres over the U.S. military build-up.

Moncada warned that Washington was carrying out a “massive propaganda operation” designed to pave the way for military intervention.

“It’s a campaign to justify what they call kinetic action – a military invasion of a sovereign and independent country that poses no threat to anyone,” Moncada said. “They claim they are fighting drug trafficking with nuclear submarines. It is absurd, and the world can see through this pretext.”

U.S. officials have confirmed that seven warships and a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, carrying more than 4,500 U.S. service members including 2,200 Marines, are either already deployed or en route to the waters near Venezuela. The Trump administration continues to accuse Caracas of links to cocaine trafficking, despite a lack of credible evidence.

Admiral Daryl Claude, the U.S. Navy’s chief of operations, publicly confirmed the deployment, attempting to frame it as part of counter-narcotics operations in South America.

In response, Venezuela has bolstered its coastal defenses by deploying warships and drones to patrol national waters and has launched a major campaign to recruit thousands of militia members into the Bolivarian armed forces.

Additionally, 15,000 Venezuelan troops have been deployed along the Colombian border to combat narco-trafficking and cross-border criminal gangs. In a rare show of regional cooperation, Maduro thanked Colombia for sending 25,000 troops to help tackle “narco-terrorist groups” that operate along the frontier.

For years, Washington has pursued open regime-change policies against Venezuela, offering a $50 million bounty for President Maduro’s capture while accusing him and senior officials of running the so-called “Cartel de los Soles.” Maduro dismissed these accusations as fabricated excuses to justify aggression and destabilization.

“Venezuela is not a threat to anyone. It is the United States that threatens peace in our region,” he said, accusing Washington of hiding behind the rhetoric of drug enforcement while pursuing its true goal of undermining Venezuela’s independence and overthrowing its legitimate government.

As U.S. warships encircle the Caribbean, Venezuela has responded with unity, determination, and defiance. The Bolivarian Revolution, strengthened by the loyalty of its armed forces and people’s militias, has vowed to defend the nation’s sovereignty at any cost.

“Let no one be mistaken,” Maduro said. “Our homeland will never kneel before imperialism. Venezuela belongs to its people, and we will defend it with dignity, courage, and faith.” (ILKHA)