BOGOTA, Colombia

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced he would deploy 4.5 million members of the national militia in response to "threats" from the US.

“This week I will activate a special plan to guarantee coverage with more than 4.5 million militia members throughout the national territory, militias trained, activated, and armed,” Maduro said in a televised statement. He referred to the US actions as "extravagant, bizarre, and outlandish threats."

Although he did not directly mention the reward announced Aug. 7 or the military deployment, Maduro expressed gratitude for expressions of support in response to a "rotten rehash" of threats.

“We defend our seas, our skies, and our lands. We liberate them. We police and patrol them. No empire will touch the sacred soil of Venezuela, nor should it touch the sacred soil of South America,” he said.

The Venezuelan deployment follows a US military-led anti-drug operation in the Caribbean.

The announcement on Monday came after the US deployed three destroyers, aircraft and submarines off the Venezuelan coast to combat drug trafficking. Washington has accused Maduro of leading the "Cartel de los Soles," a criminal organization that the US Treasury Department recently designated as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist."

The Trump administration also doubled a reward to $50 million on Aug. 7 for information leading to the arrest of Maduro.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt was asked Tuesday about a possible troop deployment in Venezuela, following reports of the military deployment. She said US President Donald Trump “is willing to use every element of American power to stop the flow of drugs into our country and bring those responsible to justice.”

She reiterated the US’ position that Maduro's government “is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, it is a narco-terror cartel, and Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president," said Leavitt. "He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States.”

​​Washington and Caracas have not had formal diplomatic relations since 2019.