Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Monday he is activating 4.5 million members of the civilian Bolivarian militia across the country, describing the move as a defensive response to what he called “extravagant” threats from the United States. The declaration came days after Washington doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million and dispatched Navy vessels and aircraft to the southern Caribbean for anti-narcotics operations. The U.S. accuses the Venezuelan leader of orchestrating a cocaine-trafficking network, allegations he denies and labels part of a renewed campaign of aggression. Caracas says the militia—created by the late Hugo Chávez and officially numbering around five million reservists—will now be “prepared, activated and armed” in every region. The large-scale mobilization underscores a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries as U.S. military assets draw closer to Venezuela’s coast.