The U.S. is increasing its naval presence off Venezuela to combat drug cartels, deploying three amphibious assault ships carrying over 4,000 personnel. While the U.S. denies plans for invasion, Venezuela's government uses the deployment to recruit for its militia, claiming it's a defense against U.S. aggression. The Venezuelan opposition, conversely, views it as a positive step towards regime change. The deployment is part of a broader U.S. strategy to pressure the Venezuelan government, though analysts doubt an invasion is likely.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.