Venezuela has declared a general mobilization and launched security force drills in response to the arrival of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group in the Caribbean. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said President Nicolás Maduro personally ordered the measures, according to a report by CNN.

Washington has justified its deployment as part of an ongoing anti-drug trafficking operation led by the Pentagon. The mission, active for several months, has reportedly destroyed around 20 vessels and resulted in 76 fatalities.

However, the operation has drawn criticism even from U.S. allies. Britain, which has long cooperated with the United States in counter-narcotics efforts, suspended intelligence sharing, expressing concern that its data could be used for strikes in the Caribbean. Canada lodged a protest, stating it did not want its information to support the campaign, while France condemned the actions outright, warning they risk deepening instability in the region.

Western media outlets have suggested that the deployment of the U.S. carrier near Venezuelan shores could mark the beginning of a «countdown» toward a potential confrontation.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities continue to project readiness for a military response. President Maduro has claimed that the country has more than eight million reservists, though analysts have questioned both the accuracy of those figures and the actual combat readiness of the reserve forces.