US holds joint military drills with Trinidad and Tobago near Venezuela
3 Min Read
The United States has begun joint naval drills with Trinidad and Tobago near Venezuela's coast, following the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, and Venezuela is continuing defensive drills on its soil.
-
US Navy warships sail in formation during joint maritime exercises in the Strait of Gilbratar, in the US Navy Europe area of operations. (X, @USNavy)
The United States has launched joint military exercises with Trinidad and Tobago, just a few kilometers off the coast of Venezuela, amid heightened tensions with President Nicolás Maduro's government.
The move follows a series of US naval deployments in the region, including the recent dispatch of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the US Southern Command, and coincides with Venezuela's own large-scale defense maneuvers announced earlier this week.
According to the Pentagon, the Ford strike group's mission is to "bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors," a justification that mirrors Washington's stated rationale for the Caribbean drills with Trinidad and Tobago. However, regional observers argue that the deployment signals a broader militarization of the Caribbean under the pretext of counter-narcotics, which may lead to illegal attacks on Venezuela.
The strike group's dispatch followed a US attack on a vessel in the Carribean, an operation that killed six people and drew condemnation from Caracas.
Trinidad and Tobago's Foreign Ministry said the USS Gravely will lead the bilateral drills, supported by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, scheduled to arrive in Port of Spain over the weekend.
"The USS Gravely will conduct joint training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force," the ministry stated, noting that the exercises aim to enhance coordination among allied forces in the Caribbean.
0311 - Rifleman#marines with #BLT36, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), conduct training on Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico and in the Caribbean Sea, from Sept. to Oct. 2025.@USMC 📽️by Staff Sgt. Brett Norman@NAVSOUS4THFLT @Southcom @DeptofWar pic.twitter.com/FYvYXjKX6c
— 22nd MEU (@22nd_MEU) October 24, 2025
Venezuela Defends Sovereignty
The proximity of the operations, just 11 kilometers from Venezuelan shores, has triggered sharp condemnation in Caracas, where officials described them as a "direct provocation" and part of Washington's pressure campaign to destabilize the country.
President Nicolás Maduro has also ordered a 72-hour nationwide military exercise involving the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), militia, and police units, with Russian and Chinese support.
Maduro said the drills were designed to "keep the machinery of peace well-oiled" and strengthen the defense of Venezuela's sovereignty amid "mounting external threats." High-tech defense systems, including anti-aircraft batteries, were installed across 73 strategic points from Zulia to Sucre.
Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar defended her government's cooperation with Washington, portraying it as part of a regional commitment to maritime security.
Caracas, however, accused Port of Spain of aligning with US interests, recalling that two Trinidadian nationals were reportedly killed in earlier US operations.
Read more: Maduro calls on working class to be ready to defend nation
