A U.S. warship docked in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital Sunday as the Trump administration boosts military pressure on neighboring Venezuela and its President Nicolas Maduro.
The arrival of the USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, in the capital of the Caribbean nation is in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela. Maduro criticized the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the U.S. government to fabricate “a new eternal war” against his country.
U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Maduro, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organized crime gang Tren de Aragua.
Government officials from the twin-island nation and the United States said the massive warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday so both countries can carry out training exercises.
A senior military official in Trinidad and Tobago told The Associated Press that the move was only recently scheduled. The official spoke under condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, has been a vocal supporter of the U.S. military presence and the deadly strikes on suspected drug boats in waters off Venezuela.
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.”
The visit comes one week after the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago warned Americans to stay away from U.S. government facilities there. Local authorities said a reported threat against Americans prompted the warning.
Many people in Trinidad and Tobago criticize the warship’s docking in town. At a recent demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy, David Abdulah, leader of the Movement for Social Justice political party, said Trinidad and Tobago should not have allowed the warship into its waters.
“This is a warship in Trinidad, which will be anchored here for several days just miles off Venezuela when there’s a threat of war,” said Abdulah. “That’s an abomination.”
Caricom, a regional trade bloc made up of fifteen Caribbean countries, has called for dialogue. Trinidad and Tobago is a member of the group, but Persad-Bissessar has said the region is not a zone of peace, citing the number of murders and other violent crimes.
The deployment of the USS Gravely adds to the growing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean as the Trump administration pursues an aggressive counter-narcotics campaign that has included strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels. The U.S. military has conducted ten strikes on suspected drug-running boats, killing at least forty-three people since September.
The Pentagon announced Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to deploy to U.S. Southern Command to “bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States.”
The Ford is the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, having been commissioned into service in 2017. At more than eleven hundred feet long with a displacement of one hundred thousand long tons, the carrier is the largest in the world.
The carrier group will join eight U.S. vessels already in the region, including three destroyers, one cruiser, a littoral combat ship, an amphibious assault ship and two transport ships. The deployment represents a major escalation of military power in waters that have already seen an unusually large U.S. military buildup.
Trump disclosed Wednesday that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, adding to speculation in Caracas that the United States is attempting to oust Maduro. The Venezuelan leader has denied any connection to drug smuggling and denounced the U.S. boat strikes as a pretext for regime change.
The arrival of the USS Gravely in Trinidad and Tobago places a significant U.S. military asset within close proximity to Venezuelan waters. Trinidad and Tobago sits just seven miles off the coast of Venezuela at the closest point, making it a strategic location for monitoring activities in the region.
The training exercises planned between U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago forces represent an expansion of military cooperation between the two nations. The partnership has grown as the Trump administration seeks regional allies in its campaign against what it describes as narcoterrorist threats emanating from Venezuela.
Critics of the U.S. military presence argue that the deployment of warships near Venezuela increases the risk of military confrontation in a region that has traditionally avoided such tensions. The opposition from some Caribbean leaders reflects concerns about being drawn into potential conflict between the United States and Venezuela.
The regional trade bloc Caricom’s call for dialogue highlights divisions within the Caribbean over how to respond to U.S. military activities near Venezuela. While some leaders like Persad-Bissessar support the American presence, others prefer diplomatic solutions to regional challenges.
The U.S. Embassy warning about threats against Americans in Trinidad and Tobago adds another layer of complexity to the military deployment. The nature of the reported threat was not disclosed, but it underscores security concerns in the region.
Admiral Alvin Holsey, who leads U.S. Southern Command, announced Thursday he would step down at the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule, in a surprise move amid escalating Venezuela tensions. Sources indicated there had been tension between Holsey and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over Caribbean operations.
The docking of the USS Gravely and the approaching aircraft carrier represent the most significant U.S. military presence in the Caribbean in decades, signaling the Trump administration’s determination to pressure the Maduro government through shows of force.
AP
