Maduro Claims 5,000 Troops with Anti-Aircraft Missiles Deployed Against US “Invasion”

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has dramatically escalated his defiant rhetoric amid the ongoing standoff with the United States, claiming that 5,000 specially trained servicemen armed with Russian-made Igla-S man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) have been deployed across the country. Their mission, according to Maduro’s statement on Thursday, is to shoot down American planes and helicopters in the event of a U.S. invasion.
“We have 5,000 men perfectly deployed, perfectly armed, with their Igla-S missiles on their shoulders, ready to defend the territory from any plane, any helicopter from the invading imperialist force, should they dare to touch the sacred soil of the fatherland,” Maduro declared in a televised address.
The Igla-S, known by its NATO reporting name SA-24 Grinch, is a modern Russian shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile system. It is designed to engage low-flying targets such as helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, and fixed-wing aircraft, particularly during approach or departure phases. While MANPADS like the Igla-S pose a significant threat to low-altitude air assets, they are generally less effective against high-flying strategic bombers (like the B-52s recently deployed near Venezuela) or stealth aircraft.
Maduro’s boastful declaration is a direct response to a rapid and severe intensification of U.S. pressure over the past two weeks. This pressure campaign has included:
* The termination of all U.S. diplomatic outreach to Caracas.
* Provocative flights by U.S. B-52 strategic bombers near the Venezuelan coast.
* A secret CIA finding reported by The New York Times authorizing lethal covert operations within Venezuela.
* An ongoing U.S. military campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, justified by labeling cartels “unlawful combatants.”
* Most recently, President Trump’s statement indicating potential U.S. military ground strikes against cartels within Venezuela, Mexico, and Colombia.
Faced with this multi-pronged pressure campaign, Maduro is attempting to project strength and deterrence. By highlighting the deployment of thousands of MANPADS, he is sending a clear message that any potential U.S. military intervention, particularly involving helicopter insertions or low-level air support, would face a determined and potentially costly resistance from dispersed ground units armed with effective anti-aircraft weapons.
While the exact number and readiness of these MANPADS teams cannot be independently verified, Venezuela is known to possess a significant inventory of Igla-S systems acquired from Russia over the years. Maduro’s statement serves to remind Washington that even a technologically superior force could face asymmetric threats and potential losses in any direct military action against his country. The claim further heightens the already extreme tensions in the Caribbean, adding the specific threat of anti-aircraft ambushes to the volatile mix.