Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro supervised military exercises held in Caracas on Thursday as tensions with the U.S. continue over the deployment of warships to the Caribbean.

In mountainous terrain, hundreds of troops marched, shot gunfire, and blasted structures as part of the course of what the government has dubbed "special revolutionary operations.”

Maduro watched the demonstrations with enthusiasm, along with other top military and government officials.

They lauded troopers and chanted with them.

"After 20 continuous days of announcements, threats, psychological war, after 20 days of siege against the Venezuelan nation, today we are stronger than yesterday," Maduro said.

The United States has deployed three war vessels off Venezuela's territorial waters, as U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed to use the military to thwart cartels he blames for the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S.

More war vessels are expected next week, an action that will undoubtedly fuel more speculation among Venezuelans, their government, and its political opposition.

Following confirmation last week of three U.S. Aegis guided-missile destroyers being deployed, that military presence is now likely to expand.

Three amphibious assault ships — a force that encompasses more than 4,000 sailors and Marines — would be entering the waters off Latin America by next week, according to a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's government has been broadcasting military exercises on state television and mobilizing military assets nationwide.

A new military enlistment campaign will be held across Venezuela during the weekend.

The U.S. government has not signaled any planned land incursion from the more than 4,000 personnel being deployed to the area, and analysts and current and former government officials see no possibility of an invasion in Venezuela.

Still, the deployment has dominated conversations in the streets and at dinner tables in Venezuela, where an alleged threat of invasion is spilling over from social media and state television.