The United States has dispatched three Aegis-equipped destroyers and roughly 4,000 Marines to the southern Caribbean in what Washington says is an expanded campaign against drug cartels operating out of Venezuela. The move follows the Trump administration’s decision to designate the Cartel de los Soles a terrorist organization and raise the bounty for information leading to President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. Beijing and Moscow quickly condemned the deployment. Chinese foreign-ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning warned that the buildup violates the United Nations Charter and regional sovereignty, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assured Venezuela of Moscow’s “unequivocal” backing during a call with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. Addressing lawmakers in Caracas, Maduro labeled the U.S. plan “immoral, criminal and illegal” and urged national unity. He ordered a weekend enlistment drive for the Bolivarian Militia, saying 4.5 million volunteers would be ready to defend the country. The National Assembly simultaneously passed a bill supporting the armed forces in protecting Venezuelan territory. Regional positions are hardening. Guyana issued a statement of “grave concern” over transnational narcoterrorism and pledged cooperation with the United States, prompting Caracas to accuse Georgetown of acting as a proxy for Washington and Exxon Mobil. Analysts note that Venezuela’s military capabilities lag far behind the U.S. naval task force, heightening fears the standoff could echo past U.S. interventions in Latin America.