Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has ordered maximum security measures in four western states in response to what he described as an increasing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean.

In a statement posted on social media Friday, Maduro said the decision covers the states of Mérida, Trujillo, Lara, and Yaracuy, aimed at strengthening the country’s “comprehensive national defense.”

The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s authorization for the CIA to conduct operations inside Venezuelan territory under the pretext of countering drug trafficking, as Washington deployed naval forces near Venezuela’s coast, escalating tensions between the two nations.