Eight US Warships 'With 1,200 Missiles' Targeting Venezuela, Says President Maduro

Last Updated:September 01, 2025, 23:15 IST

Venezuela is facing the biggest threat seen in South America in a century but will not bow to it, President Nicolas Maduro said

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference in Caracas on September 1, 2025. (AFP photo)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday claimed that eight US military vessels, armed with “1,200 missiles," were targeting his country.

Maduro called the presence of these ships as an “absolutely criminal, bloody threat" and warned of the “greatest danger seen on our continent in the last 100 years."

The United States, which accuses Maduro of leading a drug cartel, has sent a naval task force to the southern Caribbean as part of an anti-drug trafficking operation. However, Washington has made no public threats of invading Venezuela.

At a rare press conference in Caracas, Maduro said the military build-up involved “eight warships and a submarine targeting Venezuela" and vowed that the country would not bow to intimidation.

“A situation like this has never been seen," Maduro said, addressing journalists, officials, and members of the military.

Tensions between the US and Venezuela have grown recently amid the increased US naval presence in the region. US officials say the deployment is aimed at combating Latin American drug cartels that pose a threat to the US southern border. Tackling drug trafficking has been a key focus of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

However, Maduro, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and other government officials have condemned the deployment, suggesting it is part of a wider plan to justify a possible intervention against Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government has consistently rejected US claims that it plays a central role in international drug trafficking. In early August, the US doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing allegations of drug trafficking and ties to criminal groups.

(With inputs from agencies)

Venezuela

News world Eight US Warships 'With 1,200 Missiles' Targeting Venezuela, Says President Maduro

Read More