Earlier this week in Caracas, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro delivered a bold speech, wielding a sword as a symbol of defiance. He called on his supporters to brace themselves for potential conflict against what he termed “imperialist aggression,” in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would soon intensify efforts to halt suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land.

During a large gathering in the capital, Maduro held up the sword of Simón Bolívar, a key figure in South America’s 19th-century independence movement. Addressing the crowd, he emphasized that the nation was at a critical juncture.

The Associated Press reported Maduro declaring, “For anyone, whether civilian, politician, military, or police. Let no one make excuses. Failure is not an option. The homeland demands it! Our greatest effort and sacrifice. And with Simón Bolívar, I come to say that if the homeland demands it, the homeland will have our lives, if necessary,” he proclaimed, raising Bolívar’s historic sword.

In a civic-military event held at the military academy in Caracas on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, Maduro brandished the sword believed to have belonged to the independence hero Simón Bolívar. (Photo by Ariana Cubillos/AP)

Maduro portrayed the unfolding events as a battle against external threats, urging the citizens of Venezuela to rally against any form of foreign aggression.

The address came as tensions have risen following months of U.S. maritime strikes that Washington says targeted vessels used by drug traffickers. 

Reuters has reported that more than 80 people have been killed since September, and a separate Reuters report on Friday detailed heightened surveillance and security crackdowns in coastal communities where the strikes occurred.

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro brandishes a sword during an event at the military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

Speaking on Thanksgiving to U.S. service members, Trump said the United States will expand its efforts from sea interdiction to land operations. “In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many. Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore. Have you probably noticed that?” Trump said.

He added that maritime operations have already stopped an estimated 85% of drugs arriving by sea. “You probably noticed that now people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”

Trump said traffickers are responsible for “hundreds of thousands of people a year” dying from the “poisons” brought into the United States. “We warn them, stop sending poison to our country,” he said.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after speaking to troops via video from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Earlier this month, Trump said he had not ruled out sending U.S. troops to Venezuela as part of the administration’s crackdown on criminal networks tied to senior figures in Caracas. “No, I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything,” he said. 

He also left room for talks. “We may be having some conversations with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out. They would like to talk,” Trump told reporters over the weekend.

Since early September, U.S. strikes across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have destroyed dozens of vessels. U.S. officials say many were linked to Venezuelan and Colombian criminal groups.