Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced on Monday the deployment of 4.5 million militiamen throughout the country after the United States doubled the reward for information leading to his arrest and increased the number of troops sailing around Latin America and the Caribbean.

The U.S. deployed three Navy missile destroyers and around 4,000 military personnel to the waters off Venezuela in effort to thwart cartels.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced the mobilisation of 4.5 million militiamen in response to increased US military presence in the region and a heightened reward for information leading to his arrest.