Venezuela Claims Foiling CIA-Backed False-Flag Plot Targeting US Warship in Caribbean

Venezuela's government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, claims it has thwarted a CIA-backed false-flag plot aimed at attacking a U.S. warship anchored in Trinidad and Tobago and then blaming Caracas to justify military intervention. Venezuelan officials, including Foreign Minister Yván Gil and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, assert that a CIA-financed criminal cell was dismantled on Venezuelan soil, and accused Trinidad and Tobago of being involved or complicit in the operation. The alleged plot is said to mirror historical incidents like the sinking of the USS Maine and the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which were used as pretexts for war. These claims come amid heightened U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, with the deployment of several warships, including the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, and recent U.S. military strikes on boats accused of drug trafficking. Venezuela accuses the U.S. of using military deployments and covert actions authorized by President Donald Trump to destabilize Maduro’s government and provoke conflict in the region. The situation has escalated tensions between Venezuela, the U.S., and neighboring countries, with Venezuela warning of hostile provocations and calling on Trinidad and Tobago to reject what it describes as the CIA's agenda.