Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has warned that his nation is at "maximum preparedness" for an American attack as American warships remain nearby, with an expected increase in U.S. military presence.

The warships are present as part of American operations against drug cartels. The Justice Department recently, however, designated Maduro himself as a cartel leader, posting a bounty for his capture.

“In the face of this maximum military pressure, we have declared maximum preparedness for the defense of Venezuela,” Maduro told the Associated Press.

Last month, Maduro announced the deployment of 4.5 million militia units across the country in response to the original arrival of American ships.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.