Venezuela accuses Trinidad and Tobago of taking part in US seizure of oil tanker

The deployment was described by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of “replenishment and routine personnel rotations”, though officials offered little detail on its scope or duration.

The development has renewed discussion around T&T’s exposure to regional security threats linked to Venezuela, particularly given the country’s geographic proximity.

T&T has experienced the downstream effects of Venezuela’s political and economic collapse. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 Venezuelan migrants are now believed to be living in Trinidad and Tobago, many having fled worsening conditions under the Maduro administration. While a significant number have integrated into local communities, the rapid influx has placed added pressure on public services, housing, healthcare and employment in the informal and low-wage sectors.

Security concerns have also persisted, particularly among coastal communities. There have been repeated reports over several years of Trinidad and Tobago fishermen being kidnapped at sea and taken into Venezuelan territory, with victims allegedly held for ransom by criminal gangs and, in some instances, detained by Venezuelan coast guard personnel.

Trinidad has long been identified by international law enforcement agencies as a major transshipment point in the regional narcotics trade, with cocaine trafficked from Colombia and Venezuela bound for North American and European markets.

Several high-profile cases have revealed the involvement of established local businesses, shipping companies and export operations sometimes knowingly, sometimes through infiltration by organised crime, highlighting the extent to which the drug trade has penetrated legitimate sectors of the economy. These activities have contributed to money laundering, gang violence and corruption, with long-term implications for investor confidence and national security.

Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has previously defended US interdiction efforts in the Caribbean and Pacific aimed at disrupting drug trafficking routes—operations that have reportedly resulted in dozens of fatalities, including Trinidad and Tobago nationals.

The Prime Minister later confirmed that at least 100 US marines were present in the country, along with a military-grade radar system. The equipment is believed to be an AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR unit, a long-range radar platform used for air surveillance, air defence and counter-fire operations.

The Trump administration has said the operations were part of a wider counter-narcotics and regional security strategy, aimed at disrupting drug trafficking routes and deterring what it described as destabilising actions by the Maduro government. US officials maintained that the increased military presence and surveillance in the southern Caribbean were carried out in cooperation with regional partners and in line with international law.