U.S. Naval Exercises in Trinidad Raise Tensions

The guided‑missile destroyer USS Gravely docked in Port of Spain for a four-day visit and joint exercises with Trinidad and Tobago while the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and other U.S. ships moved into the Caribbean as part of a Trump administration anti‑drug campaign. Washington says U.S. operations have struck roughly 10 suspected smuggling boats; opponents say the strikes have killed dozens and heightened regional alarm. Caracas condemned the Gravely visit as a "military provocation," accused Trinidad and Tobago of coordinating with the CIA, said it had detained alleged mercenaries, and warned of a possible "false flag" aimed at provoking war. Trinidad and Tobago's prime minister rejected Venezuela's threats to withdraw from a joint gas project over the visit, and U.S. and Trinidadian officials said the exercises focus on transnational crime and capacity‑building. Brazil and other regional actors warned that any U.S. intervention or covert attempts to topple governments could inflame South America and destabilize the region.