Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuela has mobilized nearly 200,000 troops for a two-day exercise in response to the "imperialist threat" posed by the US military presence in the Caribbean, the defense minister said.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said late Tuesday that the drill involves troops from all branches of the military, as well as members of paramilitary militias.

He described the US presence in the Caribbean as a "vulgar attack against the sovereignty and peace" not only of Venezuela, but of the entire region.

The exercise would also target drug trafficking and "terrorist groups," he said.

The maneuver is part of the so-called Plan Independencia 200, a national defense initiative launched by President Nicolás Maduro in September as the US began building up forces in the waters off Latin America.

The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived in the region, the US Navy said on Tuesday. The exact location was not disclosed.

President Donald Trump's administration says its military presence aims to combat transnational criminal organizations and protect the US from illicit drugs. However, its open threats against Maduro have raised concerns that the true aim is regime collapse in Venezuela.

Deadly airstrikes on boats in Caribbean and Pacific waters have also added to tensions, with at least 76 people killed in what experts say are extrajudicial executions illegal under the law.