The American warship USS Gravely docked in Port of Spain, where it will participate in joint exercises with Trinidad and Tobago aimed at combating drug cartels.
On Sunday, the US warship docked in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, where it will participate in joint exercises off the coast of Venezuela. Reporters of the AFP agency informed about it, writes TASR.
The destroyer USS Gravely is scheduled to dock in the capital from October 26 to 30, while a contingent of Marines will conduct joint training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force.
Target: drug organizations
The exercises are part of US President Donald Trump’s escalating military campaign against drug-trafficking organizations in Latin America, with a particular focus on Venezuela.
US forces have already destroyed at least 10 ships they said were smuggling drugs. The attacks have claimed at least 43 lives, with the respective governments and families of the dead saying they were mostly civilians and, in some cases, fishermen at sea. But Trump has also threatened to hit targets on the Venezuelan mainland in the past.
**United States intervenes**
The Pentagon announced on Friday that Washington is sending an aircraft carrier group to Latin America to fight drug cartels, raising fears of an outbreak of war.
According to the US Department of State, Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most important centers for drug trafficking. The reasons are mainly the proximity of both islands of the country to the coast of Venezuela, permeable borders and the availability of direct transport routes to Europe and the USA.
Accusations against Maduro
The United States accuses Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a cocaine-trafficking cartel. Maduro insists the fight against drug traffickers is just a pretext and the real intention is to pressure him to step down. Indeed, a large part of the international community has rejected Maduro’s re-election to office in July 2024. The Venezuelan opposition claims that there have been large-scale frauds.
