The United States is reportedly set to take more actions against Venezuela amid escalating tensions between the two sides, while Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro remains defiant in the face of further U.S. threats. A report from Reuters on Saturday said the U.S. is preparing to launch a new phase of operations against Venezuela in the coming days, citing anonymous U.S. officials. The U.S. military has beefed up its presence in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks amid worsening relations with Venezuela. Since early September, American forces have sunk more than 20 alleged drug-trafficking boats, killing over 80 people. The U.S. has framed the operations as counter-narcotics measures, while the Venezuelan side says they are geopolitical pressure tactics aimed at destabilizing the country. As the U.S. ramps up its military presence around Venezuela, the Department of State has decided to formally designate the Cartel de los Soles (meaning "cartel of the suns" in English), a loosely organized network of drug traffickers, as a foreign terrorist organization, effective on Monday. The U.S. alleges that the cartel is headed by Maduro but has not released evidence to back up the claim. In response, Maduro emphasized that the latest U.S. accusations is merely rehashed rhetoric, emphasizing that Venezuela is "indestructible" in the face of the threats and psychological warfare being conducted by the United States, according to a Venezuelan media report on Sunday. The report said Maduro has ordered the country to remain on alert and conduct military preparedness exercises in anticipation of possible aggression form the U.S. side. SHOTLIST: FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Oct 2024 1. Various of White House; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown 2. Various of Capitol building; U.S. national flag; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Oct 2024 3. Traffic on street; FILE: Caracas, Venezuela - Date Unknown 4. Various of national flag of Venezuela; 5. Various of traffic on road; Caracas, Venezuela - Nov 2025 6. Various of national flag of Venezuela, traffic; FILE: Venezuela - Date Unknown 7. Various of city view, traffic; 8. Aerial shots of cityscape. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]