Even with U.S. warships offshore, the strongman has prevailed in efforts to unseat him—purging, spying and paying off officers so the armed forces remain loyal.

The 10,000 U.S. troops now operating in the Caribbean were sent to interdict drug boats. But Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's Sept. 30 state of external emergency fundamentally changed what they're facing: a military on full wartime alert,

Fired by Su-30MK2V Flankers, the Russian-supplied Kh-31 anti-ship missiles are still a danger to U.S. warships operating near Venezuelan shores.

Nicolás Maduro says his country is ready for combat, though the strongman’s military is underfunded, ill-trained and no match for American firepower

Experts and some lawmakers suspect that Trump's quest targeting alleged drug boats in the Caribbean is designed to exert pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro so he's ousted.

Barksdale, the largest U.S. B-52 base, is located in House Speaker Mike Johnson's Louisiana 4th Congressional District.

President Nicolás Maduro this week called on civilians to help the country defend itself, while his defense minister warned citizens to “prepare for the worst.”

Venezuela's government on Thursday requested an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council focused on the U.S. military actions in recent weeks in the waters off the South American country. Caracas cited "mounting threats" from the U.S., which has conducted multiple military strikes on alleged drug boats off Venezuela.

The White House cites drug enforcement, but analysts say the military buildup just off the coast of Venezuela recalls a return to gunboat diplomacy.