The Venezuelan army swore in 5,600 soldiers on Saturday, as the United States cranks up military pressure on the oil-producing country.
President Nicolas Maduro has called for stepped-up military recruitment after the U.S. deployed a fleet of warships and the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.
American forces have carried out deadly strikes on more than 20 vessels, killing at least 87.
Washington has accused Maduro of leading the alleged "Cartel of the Suns", which it declared a terrorist organization last month.
Maduro asserts the American deployment aims to overthrow him and seize the country's oil reserves.
"Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force," Colonel Gabriel Rendon said Saturday during a ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas.
According to official figures, Venezuela has around 200,000 troops and an additional 200,000 police officers.
