US Warship Adds to Pressure on Venezuela
The USS Gravely destroyer nears Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Robert Taylor)
A U.S. Navy warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday as President Trump’s administration continues to increase military pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
The USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, docked in the capital city of Port of Spain and is set to remain there until Thursday for joint training exercises with Trinidadian forces, officials confirmed. Its arrival follows the movement of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford toward Venezuelan waters — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Maduro, who accused Washington of attempting to create “a new eternal war” against his country.
President Trump has publicly accused Maduro of leading the notorious organized crime network known as Tren de Aragua, though he has not provided evidence to support the claim.
Officials from both nations described the Gravely’s visit as part of long-planned security cooperation. Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has voiced support for the U.S. presence, as well as for military operations targeting suspected drug trafficking off Venezuela’s coast.
U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said the visit is aimed at “addressing shared threats like transnational crime and building resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts.”
The visit comes just a week after the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain warned American citizens to avoid U.S. government facilities due to reported threats.
Still, the docking has stirred controversy within Trinidad and Tobago. Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy to denounce what they called a dangerous provocation so close to Venezuelan territory.
“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 David Abdulah, leader of the Movement for Social Justice party. “That’s an abomination.”
Victor Rojas, a Venezuelan carpenter who has lived in Trinidad and Tobago for eight years, shared his concern. “Venezuela is not in a position to weather an attack right now,” he told AFP.
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