5,600 new soldiers have joined the Venezuelan army, at a time when the United States is intensifying military pressure on Caracas. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called for intensifying military recruitment, after Washington deployed a fleet of warships and the largest aircraft carrier in the world in the Caribbean, announcing a campaign to combat drug trafficking. The United States accuses Maduro of leading the so-called “Sun Cartel,” which Washington classified, last month, as a terrorist organization.

According to official figures, the number of Venezuelan forces is about 200,000 soldiers, in addition to 200,000 police officers.