Starting Sunday, U.S. warships and military aircraft, including Marine Corps personnel, are set to arrive in Trinidad and Tobago, an island nation situated off the coast of Venezuela. This deployment is part of a joint military exercise in response to increasing U.S. pressure on Caracas, which has declared a firm stance against what it refers to as a “mad war.”
The United States has stationed seven warships in the Caribbean region and one in the Gulf of Mexico, claiming these actions are part of a drug trafficking suppression operation that specifically targets Venezuela and its president, Nicolás Maduro.
In recent weeks, U.S. forces have conducted nine airstrikes against vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean seas suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, resulting in the deaths of at least 37 individuals, according to figures compiled by American sources and reported by the French news agency.
According to a statement from the Trinidad and Tobago government, the U.S. Navy ship “USS Gravely” is scheduled to dock on its shores from October 26 to 30, during which the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will also engage in collaborative training exercises with Trinidad and Tobago defense forces.
The westernmost point of Trinidad and Tobago is located just a few dozen kilometers from the Venezuelan coast.
In a related development, an American B-1 bomber flew over the Caribbean along the Venezuelan coast on Thursday, as indicated by flight tracking data, marking the second display of U.S. military power in the region within a week.
In response to a question from reporters at the White House, President Trump denied that a war declaration was imminent, while emphasizing that the U.S. was “unhappy” with Venezuela’s conduct on various fronts.
He stated, “We are not pleased with them; they have emptied their prisons into our country.”
Furthermore, he clarified, “We don’t necessarily need to seek a war declaration from Congress, as they have the right to authorize that. We simply have to eliminate those who enter our territory.”
Conversely, Nicolás Maduro issued an appeal in English to the United States, stating, “No to a mad war, please.” During a meeting with his supportive unions, he emphasized the importance of peace, asserting, “Yes to peace, yes to everlasting peace.”
Since August, Maduro has ordered a series of military exercises and discussed the testing of Chinese and Russian equipment during these drills.
He remarked, “Thank you to President (Vladimir) Putin, thank you to Russia, thank you to China, and thank you to many friends around the world. Venezuela now possesses the equipment to ensure peace.”
Maduro accused the U.S. of using the anti-drug narrative as a pretext to engineer a change in governance and to seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
On Thursday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino warned that any operation launched by the CIA against Venezuela would meet failure, following Trump’s authorization for covert actions in the country.
Padrino stated, “We are aware that the CIA is present in Venezuela,” adding, “They may send their agents in unknown numbers to conduct covert operations at any point in the country… but any such attempt will fail.”
There is no doubt that Caracas will closely monitor U.S. activities in Trinidad and Tobago, despite the government’s statement not mentioning Venezuela directly, but focusing on “cooperation efforts in the Caribbean” and “military collaboration” with Washington.
The current administration of Trinidad and Tobago, led by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has shown strong support for Trump and has maintained an anti-immigrant stance towards Venezuelans and “Venezuelan crime” since coming to power in May.
Reports indicate that two citizens of Trinidad and Tobago were killed in an American operation earlier this month, though the authorities have neither confirmed nor denied these claims.
Experts question the legality of such attacks on vessels in international waters without attempting to intercept or arrest their crews for prosecution.