President Trump ordered US warships to Venezuelan waters to counter threats from Latin American drug cartels -- weeks after the commander in chief offered a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Seven warships carrying 4,500 service members - including three guided-missile destroyers - and a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine are either already in the region or expected to arrive within the coming week, according to a US official familiar with the orders.
The Pentagon has not disclosed the specifics of the mission or threatened to invade.
Trump - who this month issued a $50 million bounty for Maduro's capture - recently authorized the military to combat drug cartels he blames for the influx of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into American communities.
"The president is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday.
"Many Caribbean nations and many nations in the region have applauded the administration's counter-drug operations and efforts."
But the show of force has heightened tensions between the US and Venezuela.
Maduro - who Trump considers an illegitimate leader after allegedly stealing his last two elections - denounced the move and has since urged Venezuelans to join a volunteer militia to support the country's armed forces in the event of an attack, even hosting enlistment events.
"There's no way they can enter Venezuela," Maduro said Thursday.
"Today, we are stronger than yesterday. Today, we are more prepared to defend peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Maduro previously said he'd be deploying 4.5 million militia members across his country in response to US "threats."
Venezuela's UN ambassador, Samuel Moncada, also slammed the US military buildup as nothing more than "propaganda."
"It's a massive propaganda operation to justify what the experts call kinetic action - meaning military intervention in a country which is a sovereign and independent country and is not a threat to anyone," Moncada told reporters Thursday.
The Justice Department has accused Maduro of leading "The Cartel de los Soles," which shipped hundreds of tons of cocaine and other illicit drugs to the US since the early 2000s, raking in millions.
In July, the agency listed the cartel as a specially designated global terrorist group.
A Trump administration official said the Venezuelan dictator should be concerned about the president's recent orders, comparing the situation to the 1989 US mission that led to the capture of Panamanian President Manuel Noriega.
"The president has asked for a menu of options," the official said, Axios reported.
"And ultimately, this is the president's decision about what do next, but Maduro should be sh-ting bricks."