Venezuela announces ‘massive mobilization’ of military forces as America’s largest warship sails into region

Venezuela says it is launching a “massive mobilization” of military personnel, weapons and equipment in response to the build-up of US warships and troops in the Caribbean Sea.

Land, air, naval and reserve forces will carry out exercises through Wednesday, according to Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, who described the deployment as a response to the “imperialist threat” posed by the US build-up.

In addition to regular military units, the exercises will involve the Bolivarian Militia – a reserve force made up of civilians that was created by the late President Hugo Chávez and is named after Simon Bolivar, the revolutionary who secured the independence of numerous Latin American countries from Spain.

Padrino López, who attributed the order directly to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, said the objective of the exercise was to “optimize command, control and communications” and ensure the defense of the country.

The move comes amid increasing tension between the two countries as the US build-up continues. On Tuesday, the US Navy announced the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford – America’s largest warship – had arrived in the US Southern Command area of operations, which includes most of Latin America.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Ford to make its way to the Caribbean from Europe late last month.

The strike group accompanying the Ford brings with it nine air squadrons, two Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers – the USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan – the integrated air and missile defense command ship USS Winston S. Churchill, and more than 4,000 sailors.

The US has framed its build-up of forces in the region as aimed at combating drug trafficking and the flow of drugs into the United States, and has carried out strikes on numerous alleged drug boats in recent weeks.

However, Caracas believes the US is really trying to force regime change and some Trump administration officials have privately conceded their strategy is aimed at removing Maduro.

Last month, Trump said he had authorized the CIA to operate in Venezuela and he has previously suggested he was weighing the possibility of strikes inside the country – though administration officials have since said the US is not currently planning such action.

In his statement Tuesday, Padrino López framed the deployment of the Venezuelan forces as part of Maduro’s wider “Independence Plan 200” – a civic-military strategy aimed at mobilizing conventional military forces alongside militia and police forces to defend the country.

Venezuela’s conventional military, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, has some 123,000 members. Maduro has also claimed that his volunteer militias now have more than 8 million reservists, though experts have called into question that number as well as the quality of the troops’ training.

With the arrival of the Ford, there are thought to be roughly 15,000 US personnel in the region.

A significant percentage of all deployed US naval assets were already in the region before the arrival of the Ford group, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, amounting to more than 4,500 Marines and sailors, three guided-missile destroyers, an attack submarine, a special operations ship, a guided missile cruiser and P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft.

At the same time, the US has deployed 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, which has become a hub for the US military as part of the increased focus on the Caribbean. The US has also deployed at least three MQ-9 reaper drones to the island, according to images captured by Reuters in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Alongside the hardware, there are thought to be around 5,000 US troops in Puerto Rico.

US bombers have also flown several training missions near the Venezuelan coast, including a bomber “attack demonstration” in late October.

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For first time in years, highest-paid city employee in Mobile is the mayor

By Brendan Kirby

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The highest-paid staff member in Mobile’s new city administration is the mayor, himself.

It is the first time in recent memory that the mayor will be Mobile’s highest-paid city employee. Nearly two dozen city workers made more than Sandy Stimpson when he was mayor, for instance.

The executive staff that Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis announced last week includes a number of holdovers, many of whom will have new titles. They mostly are getting raises, with one big exception – James Barber, who earned $210,125 as Stimpson’s chief of staff. Cheriogotis decided not to have a chief of staff. Instead, Barber will make $190,000 as chief of operations, with responsibilities over public works, finance and infrastructure.

“It’s not to say any one model is right or wrong. But, you know, being a new mayor, I wanted multiple streams of information coming to me. I need to understand from a very base level, the business of the city. And so by creating more direct reports from more experienced people, I thought it would make me a better mayor and help me to better serve them.”

Other advisers are getting raises. Joe Snowden will make almost $6,000 more to move from deputy chief of staff to chief of administrative services. Shayla Beaco, whose new title is chief of building and planning, will make more than $22,000 above her salary as executive director of Build Mobile. And Curtis Graves’ salary jumps from $131,328 to $155,000 to move from deputy director to executive director of public safety.

Keysha Brown made $121,419 a year as director of community affairs and council liaison during the Stimpson administration. She will earn $135,000 as the similarly titled executive liaison to the City Council. Candace Cooksey was making $125,000 as the communications director and senior political adviser before taking a leave of absence to help run Cheriogotis’ campaign. She got a $40,000 pay raise to become executive director of public affairs.

Cory Adair, who was not on Stimpson’s executive staff, will make $125,000 as senior adviser of civic & cultural affairs.

At least at the outset of his administration, Cheriogotis will not be giving orders to any subordinate who out-earns him. That largely is thanks to a pay raise the City Council approved in February, hiking the new mayor’s salary from $125,000 to $195,000.

But Cherigotis said that with the mayor’s salary fixed by ordinance, it is possible other employees may pass him at some point.

“I might not always be the highest paid, because we need good people, but you know, I think that’s a good place to start,” he said.

Mobile City Council President C.J. Small said it took a few years for his relationship with Mayor Stimpson to gel. He says his relationship with Mayor Cheriogotis is off to a good start. He said the mayor should have a free hand to structure his staff as he sees fit.

“He’s coming in with new ideas, and I’m open and willing to see, you know, how his new ideas will roll out compared to the older mayors of what they have done in the past, to see what, you know, what he’s gonna bring in towards the future,” he said.

After taking the oath of office, Cheriogotis announced a goal of personally talking to all 2,100 city employees.

“We’re at least 10 percent … but you know, it’s a long way to go,” he said. “I spent some time at about 6 a.m. with a lot of the public works folks before they went out on their routes last week, you know, bright and early there. I didn’t bring donuts, so I got in trouble.”

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