"We are prepared to protect US personnel and diplomatic facilities if necessary", Navy Admiral Craig Faller, the head of US Southern Command, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Previously, Caracas cut diplomatic ties with Washington, urging all Venezuelan diplomats to return from the US. President Nicolas Maduro also urged American diplomats to leave Venezuela.
READ MORE: Mexico Worried About Possible US Military Intervention in Venezuela — FM
However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has rejected his authority, also threatening to take appropriate action to hold anyone accountable for endangering the safety of American personnel.
7 February 2019, 10:41 GMT
On 22 January, head of the opposition-run National Assembly Juan Guaido proclaimed himself the country's interim president during a mass rally in Caracas. He was immediately recognised by the US and some other countries as Venezuela’s head of state, while legitimate President Nicolas Maduro called him "a puppet" and accused Washington of a coup attempt.
