The mobilization began at 4:00 a.m. in the states of Zulia, Falcón, Carabobo, Aragua, Miranda, La Guaira, Anzoátegui, Sucre, and Nueva Esparta—that is, along the entire Venezuelan coast.
They activated 105mm towed artillery pieces, ZU-23 systems (towed twin anti-aircraft automatic cannon) and Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles, as well as VN1 amphibious armored vehicles, among other equipment.
“The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations,” the notice reads.
A set of Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters Thursday, two days after the U.S. said it struck a Venezuelan drug vessel, according to a Defense Department statement posted to X.
Two Venezuelan F-16s conducted the aggressive maneuver over the USS Jason Dunham, an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer, in a clear “show of force,” a U.S. defense official confirmed to Navy Times.
Venezuela would struggle to hit back with its small, dubiously effective aircraft fleet, „under-serviced frigates“ and an „aging submarine,“ Solar said. The U.S. would likely come out as the victor in a second wave of torpedoes, guided munitions and surface-to-air missiles the deployed force boasts, Solar said.