Venezuela's Maduro unleashes military, launches criminal probe of rival Guaido

CARACAS, Venezuela - The Trump administration on Tuesday threatened "serious consequences" against the government of President Nicolas Maduro for opening a criminal investigation into the country's U.S.-backed opposition leader, a possible precursor to arrest.

And Maduro, defiantly resisting attempts to oust him, brandished his most potent weapon: the military. In a bellicose speech, he announced the creation of "popular defense units," armed civilian squads comprising 50,000 fighters instructed to expand the army's reach by putting down anti-government resistance in neighborhoods across Venezuela.

The criminal investigation and the formation