“Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Commander-in-Chief of Venezuela’s defense and Venezuela’s right to peace.”

— Nicolás Maduro, addressing the threat of U.S. strikes under Trump’s renewed pressure campaign.

In a televised interview, Maduro warns Washington that any military assault on Venezuela would be a massacre of God's people. He says he has placed the nation under divine protection .

“You’re going to bomb and massacre a Christian people— the people of Christ, the people of God, the people of Venezuela?”

The irony? Trump recently threatened military action on behalf of persecuted Christians in Nigeria. But now, he’s threatening military force against tens of millions of Christians in Venezuela.

Adding more from last night: 

SATELLITE VISUAL — The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) has now been spotted deep in the Caribbean, moving south roughly 150 miles (240 km) southwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

This is the first confirmed satellite image of the Ford inside the region since Trump’s “Southern Spear” buildup began and it puts the carrier group within striking range of Venezuela.

➤ 75+ aircraft onboard the USS Ford

➤ Full carrier strike group accompanying

➤ Active bomber flights already operating off Venezuela’s coast

The Caribbean hasn’t seen a U.S. military footprint like this in decades.