(MENAFN) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has instructed the nation’s air force to remain “ready and resolute” in safeguarding the country following recent threats from US President Donald Trump, who suggested that American forces could soon move to conduct operations on land in the region.

According to reports, the US military has stationed naval assets in the Caribbean and has been striking small vessels it claims are tied to drug trafficking. Washington presents these moves as part of anti-narcotics efforts, while Caracas denounces them as unlawful. US officials have repeatedly alleged that Maduro leads a regime connected to drug cartels and have implied that more direct intervention may be on the horizon. Maduro, asserting that Washington aims to remove him from power, denies the accusations and has warned the US against initiating “a crazy war.”

During a speech on Thursday, Maduro expressed confidence that Venezuela would stand firm even if circumstances forced it to become a “republic in arms.” He instructed the Bolivarian Military Aviation to stay “alert and ready.”

“I ask you to always remain serene, alert, ready and willing to defend our rights as a nation, as a free and sovereign homeland,” he told assembled personnel. He also claimed that 82% of Venezuelans were prepared to defend the nation “with weapons in hand.”

His comments came shortly after Trump asserted that the US would soon broaden its efforts to stop drug routes originating from Venezuela by acting on land — though he did not provide evidence or details about the timeline. Speaking to troops at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, Trump praised the 7th Bomb Wing’s work and insisted that maritime interdictions had already reduced trafficking by roughly 85%. He argued that drug networks were “killing hundreds of thousands” of Americans and reiterated that ground operations would begin soon.

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