Venezuela Declares War Amid U.S. Naval Strikes

CARACAS, Sept. 15, 2025 - Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declared war on the United States today, ordering the establishment of 284 “battlefront” defense sites across the country in response to recent U.S. military strikes and naval deployments.

Maduro’s announcement marks a dramatic escalation in already fraught Caracas-Washington relations, as Venezuela accuses the U.S. of unprovoked aggression and illegal maritime actions against Venezuelan vessels.

Battlefront Mobilization and War Declaration President Maduro convened a press briefing with military chiefs in Caracas, declaring that U.S. behavior constitutes “aggression” rather than mere bilateral tensions and that communication lines have been severed. He ordered the creation of 284 fortified positions-comprising military, police and civilian forces-to prepare for “armed struggle” if further U.S. incursions occur.

Context of Rising Tensions

• Earlier this month, a U.S. strike in the Caribbean killed 11 Venezuelans and sank a vessel Washington alleged was used by a drug cartel, which Maduro branded a “criminal attack.”
• On Monday, U.S. forces carried out a second strike on another boat off Venezuelan waters, killing three more individuals in what President Trump called an operation against “extraordinarily violent drug traffickers.”
• The U.S. has deployed eight warships, a submarine and F-35 jets to the southern Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, prompting Caracas to accuse Washington of seeking regime change.

Descending Details Maduro characterized the U.S. actions as “judicial, political, diplomatic and military aggression,” vowing that Venezuela will defend its sovereignty at all costs. He criticized the Trump administration for cutting off dialogue and accused U.S. officials of threats of “bombs, death and coercion.”

Opposition figures and international observers have expressed alarm over the potential for open conflict in the Caribbean, urging de-escalation. Meanwhile, Maduro has mobilized the Bolivarian National Militia and reserve forces, calling on citizens to enlist in defense of the homeland.

The U.S. government maintains that its Caribbean deployment targets drug cartels threatening American security, but has provided scant public evidence linking Maduro’s government to narcotics trafficking. As both nations brace for further confrontations, the risk of a broader military clash looms over the region.