The Venezuelan government has condemned what it describes as "threats" from the United States, stating that these actions jeopardize the peace and stability of the entire region. Caracas accuses Washington of lacking credibility and characterizes the U.S. measures as signs of desperation, particularly in response to U.S. declarations about using all its power to curb drug trafficking into its territory. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López warned the U.S. against any incursion into Venezuelan territory, asserting that such acts would be considered aggression against Latin America and the Caribbean. In response to the rising tensions, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on both Venezuela and the United States to resolve their differences through peaceful means and urged restraint to de-escalate the situation. This appeal followed reports of the U.S. deploying three destroyers with over 4,000 marines near Venezuelan coasts, which has contributed to the heightened diplomatic strain between the two countries.