Maduro says Venezuela in possession of 5,000 Russian anti-aircraft missiles to counter US
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his country is in possession of 5,000 Russian-made surface-to-air missiles to counter American forces amid rising tensions over a major US military buildup in the Caribbean condemned by Caracas as preparation for an invasion.
Maduro made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that the South American country has “no fewer than 5,000 in key air defense positions to ensure peace”, referring to Russian man-portable surface-to-air missiles known as Igla-S.
This comes amid Washington’s deployment of stealth warplanes and Navy ships in the region under what it calls anti-narcotics operations, which have already destroyed several vessels allegedly smuggling drugs from Venezuela to the United States.
Maduro condemned the US presence as a prelude to a possible invasion aimed at toppling his government, which Washington accuses of leading a drug cartel.
The Venezuelan president noted that the missiles, designed to target low-flying aircraft, were part of military drills ordered in response to the US buildup, a move that has caused anger across Latin America.
The US military buildup in the Caribbean and near Venezuelan waters began in August, involving several destroyers, anti-submarine aircraft, battleships, nuclear submarines, and F-35 squadrons.
Since then, US forces have attacked multiple vessels, killing dozens of Venezuelan nationals while claiming they were drug traffickers transporting narcotics to the United States, an accusation Caracas has categorically dismissed as baseless.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has told Congress that the US is in “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels, labeling traffickers as “unlawful combatants.” Legal experts have called such summary killings illegal, even if they target confirmed smugglers.
Regional tensions have risen sharply, with Colombia recalling its ambassador to Washington after a dispute between President Gustavo Petro and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, who claimed the US operation has drastically reduced sea-based trafficking and is ready to strike traffickers on land.
A US senator has sharply criticized President Donald Trump for authorizing military strikes off the coast of Venezuela.
Separately, US elite helicopter unit 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment — known as the “Night Stalkers” — has been operating off the coast of Venezuela as part of a larger US military deployment into the Caribbean, which includes B-52 bombers and F-35 jets.
This show of force comes as Trump has authorized covert operations to pressure Maduro’s government, which has said “No to regime change.”
Analysts interpret the maneuvers as a “carefully-calibrated military messaging” campaign aimed at Maduro’s downfall — either via internal military revolt, a US-led strike, or a negotiated settlement favorable to US interests.
Meanwhile, Latin American neighbors have expressed alarm at the prospect of invasion, warning that foreign intervention could destabilize the region.
