• Maduro plans to mobilize over 4.5 million militia members in Venezuela.
• The U.S. has doubled the bounty for Maduro's arrest to $50 million.
• This action is a response to renewed U.S. anti-drug operations in the Caribbean.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced the mobilization of more than 4.5 million militia members in response to what he termed "outrageous threats" from the United States. This decision comes after Washington doubled its bounty for his arrest to $50 million amid accusations of drug trafficking. Maduro stated, "This week, I will activate a special plan with more than 4.5 million militiamen to ensure coverage of the entire national territory," during a televised address on Monday, according to IndiaTimes, TRT, Al Jazeera, and CBS News.

Maduro's militia, originally established by the late Hugo Chávez, is officially reported to have around five million members, although experts suggest the real number is lower given Venezuela's population of approximately 30 million. According to reports, Maduro denounced the renewed U.S. threats as "extravagant" and "bizarre," highlighting the ongoing tensions between the two nations as Washington launched anti-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, deploying naval assets to the region, according to IndiaTimes, TRT, and CBS News.

In a firm stance against U.S. actions, Maduro expressed gratitude for international support amidst what he described as a "rotten refrain" of threats. He called for an expansion of militia units to include workers and peasants, declaring, "Rifles and missiles for the peasant force! To defend the territory, sovereignty, and peace of Venezuela," emphasizing the need for a robust national defense in light of the perceived threats from Washington, according to Al Jazeera, IndiaTimes, and CBS News.