STORY: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday (August 28) praised Colombian President Gustavo Petro for deploying 25,000 troops to strengthen security in the Catatumbo region, a key area along the shared border between the two countries.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela are rising amid a large U.S. naval buildup in the Southern Caribbean and nearby waters, which U.S. officials say aims to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.

U.S. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on drug cartels a central goal of his administration, part of a wider effort to limit migration and secure the U.S. southern border.

While U.S. Coast Guard and Navy ships regularly operate in the Southern Caribbean, this buildup is significantly larger than usual deployments in the region, a move which was denounced by Maduro.

The Pentagon has not indicated publicly what exactly the U.S. mission will be, but the Trump administration has said it can now use the military to go after drug cartels and criminal groups and has directed the Pentagon to prepare options.

On its part, in a message via X platform, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he had ordered the Colombian army to increase the number of troops in the Colombian Catatumbo region “to reduce the mafia's forces as much as possible.” “It is not the land that defeats the mafia, it is the coordination between the two states that achieves this,” he added.

On Thursday, Venezuela complained to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the U.S. naval buildup, accusing Washington of violating the founding U.N. Charter.

The Trump administration designated Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and other drug gangs, as well as the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, as global terrorist organizations in February.

Maduro's government said last week it would send 15,000 troops to states along its western border with Colombia to combat drug trafficking groups.

Maduro has also called for civil defense groups to train each Friday and Saturday.

Maduro's government regularly accuses the opposition and foreigners of conspiring with U.S. entities such as the CIA to harm Venezuela, accusations the opposition and the U.S. have always denied. It characterizes sanctions as "economic war."

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: MEMBERS OF 'REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE' PERFORMING MILITARY EXERCISES / SOUNDBITES FROM VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AUGUST 28, 2025) (VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE PERFORMING MILITARY EXERCISES

2. MEMBERS OF REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE APPROACHING TO GREET VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO

3. VARIOUS OF MADURO GREETING MEMBERS OF REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE

4. MEMBERS OF REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE PERFORMING MILITARY EXERCISES

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, NICOLAS MADURO, SAYING (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER DIFFERENT SHOTS OF EVENT):

"President Gustavo Petro has given an order today to reinforce the entire Colombian Catatumbo area with 25,000 men, so the coordination of the binational zone number one advances, for the good of sovereignty, peace and future prosperity of our border peoples. We watch over our land, we care for it and we preserve it, Venezuelans and Colombians united for peace, prosperity and sovereignty."

6. VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE PERFORMING MILITARY EXERCISES DURING CLOSING CEREMONY

7. MADURO, WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS APPLAUDING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, NICOLAS MADURO, SAYING:

"Today I can say after 20 continuous days of announcements, threats, psychological warfare, after 20 days of siege against the Venezuelan nation, today we are stronger than yesterday, today we are more prepared to defend peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity than yesterday, much more."

9. VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE PERFORMING MILITARY EXERCISES DURING CLOSING CEREMONY

10. MADURO WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WATCHING EXERCISES

11. VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE PERFORMING MILITARY EXERCISES DURING CLOSING CEREMONY

12. MADURO SURROUNDED BY MEMBERS OF REVOLUTIONARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COURSE