President Maduro oversees military exercises after US deploys warships to Caribbean

Military exercises were underway in Caracas on Thursday, as tensions with the United States continue over the deployment of warships to the Caribbean.  

The Venezuelan army was put through its paces, marching, shooting and blasting structures in the course of what the government called “special revolutionary operations.”  

President Nicolas Maduro was there to watch, alongside other top military and government officials.  

The US has deployed three guided-missile destroyers off Venezuela's territorial waters, as President Trump turns to the military to combat the cartels he blames for the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the United States. 

Three amphibious assault ships, carrying more than 4,000 sailors and Marines, are expected to enter the waters off South America by next week, according to a defense official. 

Meanwhile, Venezuela's government has been broadcasting military exercises on state television and mobilizing military assets nationwide.  

A new military enlistment campaign will be held across Venezuela during the weekend. 

The US government has not signaled any planned land incursion and analysts and current and former government officials see no possibility of an invasion in Venezuela.  

Still, the deployment has dominated conversations in the streets and at dinner tables in Venezuela, where an alleged threat of invasion is spilling over from social media and state television.