US Warship Docks in Trinidad

The United States has significantly increased military pressure on Venezuela, deploying the USS Gravely guided missile destroyer to Trinidad and Tobago for joint training exercises and moving the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford closer to Venezuelan waters. U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading the organized crime gang Tren de Aragua and has hinted at potential future military operations. Maduro has condemned these actions as an attempt to fabricate a 'new eternal war' and a military provocation. Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar supports the U.S. military presence and strikes on suspected drug boats, despite local protests led by David Abdulah of the Trinidad and Tobago — Movement for Social Justice and calls for dialogue from the Caribbean Community. The U.S. justifies its actions as efforts to combat transnational crime and drug trafficking, which it considers an 'armed attack' on the United States.