Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday ordered military exercises in the country’s biggest shantytowns after U.S. forces blew up another boat allegedly carrying drugs from the Caribbean country.
President Trump said six “narcoterrorists” were killed in the strike on the vessel near Venezuela, bringing the number of people killed in such attacks since early September to at least 27. Mr. Trump said the latest strike was conducted in international waters and that “Intelligence” confirmed that the vessel was trafficking narcotics and was on a known drug trafficking route.
Mr. Trump has also deployed eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and fighter jets to the region as part of what he has presented as an operation to combat drug smuggling into the United States.
The Senate voted last week on a war powers resolution that would have barred the Trump administration from conducting the strikes unless Congress specifically authorized them. The resolution didn’t pass.
DONALD TRUMP VIA TRUTH SOCIAL via Reuters
Maduro, who is widely believed to have stolen last year’s presidential election, has accused Washington of plotting regime change.
In a message on the Telegram social network, Maduro said he was mobilizing the military, police and a civilian militia to defend Venezuela’s “mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories and markets.”
State television showed images of armored vehicles deploying in the sprawling low-income Caracas suburb of Petare, a traditional stronghold of socialist support.
Military exercises will also take place in Miranda state, which neighbors Caracas.
He said the deployments aim to “win the peace.”
Yasin Demirci/Anadolu via Getty Images 
Earlier this month, Maduro said he was ready to declare a state of emergency over what he called the threat of U.S. “aggression.” In August, thousands of citizens lined up in Caracas to join the country’s militia in case there is a U.S. invasion.
Mr. Trump accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel — charges Maduro denies.
The U.S. Justice Department in August doubled a bounty for information leading to Maduro’s capture to $50 million.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Wednesday the United States was scheming to “rob” Venezuela, once a wealthy oil nation, “of its immense natural resources.”
The pressure on Maduro inched higher last week when U.S.-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for leading peaceful resistance to his 12-year rule.