Maduro accuses Washington of planning a "military aggression" and affirms Venezuela's readiness to respond

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the United States on Monday of preparing for a "military aggression" targeting his country, affirming that Venezuela will resort to its "legitimate right to self-defense" under international law.

Maduro said during a press conference that "there is an ongoing military aggression against Venezuela, and we have the right to respond by all means," pointing out that relations between Caracas and Washington are "completely severed."

This escalation comes after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of warships in the Caribbean off the Venezuelan coast last August, under the pretext of combating drug cartels in Latin America.

Trump revealed that U.S. forces targeted a drug-laden ship, resulting in the deaths of 11 people on board, claiming that the ship had departed from Venezuela and was carrying members of the "Train of Aragua" gang, without providing evidence to support this.

In contrast, the Venezuelan government described the U.S. narrative as a "huge lie," as Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated that local investigations indicate that the incident may be related to the disappearance of individuals from a coastal area within the country who have no connection to drug trafficking, accusing Washington of carrying out "extrajudicial killings."