US Navy destroyer arrives in Trinidad and Tobago as Trump turns screws on Venezuela
In a significant display of military cooperation, the USS Gravely, a U.S. guided missile destroyer, docked in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Sunday. This visit comes amid heightened tensions surrounding Venezuela and its President, Nicolás Maduro, as the Trump administration intensifies its military pressure on the neighboring nation. The USS Gravely is set to engage in joint military training exercises with Trinidad and Tobago’s armed forces, a collaboration that government officials from both countries have indicated will last until Thursday. U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz emphasized that these exercises aim to tackle shared threats such as transnational crime while enhancing regional security through training and humanitarian missions.
Venezuela has reacted strongly to the military exercises, labeling them a “dangerous” act and a “serious threat” to the Caribbean region. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. actions as a “hostile provocation,” reflecting the increasing animosity between the two nations. The backdrop to this military engagement includes the ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier also moving closer to Venezuela to target suspected drug smuggling operations. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago has expressed her support for the U.S. military presence and the administration’s aggressive measures against drug cartels operating in the region.
This escalation of military activity comes on the heels of President Trump’s authorization for the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, a decision he justified by citing the release of U.S. prisoners and the influx of drugs from Venezuela into the United States. Trump has characterized Maduro as a leader of a drug cartel, further fueling tensions. As the situation develops, the implications of U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, particularly in relation to Venezuela, could lead to increased instability in the region, prompting concerns over a possible wider conflict. The strategic moves by the U.S. highlight the complexities of regional security, drug trafficking, and the geopolitical dynamics at play in South America.
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A U.S. guided missile destroyer docked in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital on Sunday as the Trump administration escalates a campaign of military pressure against neighboring Venezuela and its
President Nicolás Maduro
.
USS Gravely arrived in Port-of-Spain to conduct joint military training exercises with the Caribbean nation. The warship will remain until Thursday, according to government officials from the two countries.
U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said in a statement that the exercises seek to “address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts.”
Venezuela said the conduct of military exercises in the waters of a neighboring country is “dangerous” and a “serious threat” to the
Caribbean region
, further calling it a “hostile provocation” toward the South American nation, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
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Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, has supported the U.S. military presence and the Trump administration’s deadly strikes on suspected drug boats in waters off Venezuela.
The arrival of USS Gravely in Trinidad and Tobago comes as the aircraft carrier
USS Gerald R. Ford
moves closer to Venezuela in the Trump administration’s effort to target suspected drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean.
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Maduro criticized the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the U.S. government to fabricate “a new eternal war” against his country.
The Trump administration has already ordered a number of strikes in the Caribbean aimed at dismantling and disrupting drug cartels in the region. President
Donald Trump
has also accused Maduro of being a drug cartel leader.
Earlier this month,
Trump confirmed that he authorized
the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, saying he did so because the South American nation has released prisoners into the U.S. and that drugs were coming into the U.S. from Venezuela through sea routes.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
