Senior Reporter
shane.superville
@guardian.co.tt
Cumuto residents say low-flying US military aircraft taking part in joint training exercises with the T&T Defence Force (TTDF) caused widespread unease on Monday afternoon into the night, with the noise and vibration from the engines shaking houses and startling families.
A media release from the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs on November 14 confirmed that US military helicopters would be used in the drills. The exercises, scheduled from November 16 to 21, involve members of the US 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and the TTDF in capacity-building operations aimed at combating transnational organised crime.
Guardian Media visited the Cumuto Military Base shortly after 6 am yesterday. From outside the facility, activity appeared minimal, with only a handful of civilian and Regiment vehicles entering for routine operations.
On Monday, however, residents across Santa Rosa, Wallerfield, Valencia and surrounding areas shared footage of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft flying in formation. Many reported hearing multiple aircraft late into the night—up to 11 pm—describing persistent, low-flying movements in near-darkness or with minimal lighting.
Residents of Santa Rosa Heights said the helicopters appeared to circle between Cumuto, Arima and the Churchill–Roosevelt Highway corridor. In west Trinidad, others reported hearing the aircraft long before they passed overhead. Many described the noise as “intense” and “prolonged,” with several expressing concern about its impact on the elderly, sick and young children. On social media, some sarcastically questioned whether this level of noise pollution was acceptable, referencing the Government’s recent crackdown on loud music at fetes.
Near the Cumuto base, one woman said the noise was so powerful it caused her wooden and galvanised home to shake as a helicopter took off around 9 pm.
She said her four children, all under six, rushed to her in fear, believing something dangerous was happening.
“My daughter was screaming. She went into a panic immediately,” the woman said. “Everybody came outside panicking because we didn’t know what was taking place. You see how close we live… that sound is terrible. I didn’t even know this was a planned exercise. I really thought we were going to war. Even my dogs ran inside the house.”
She said the roar of the engines came suddenly, leaving her little time to process what was happening as she tried to calm her children. She added that she normally works night shifts, and relatives told her the aircraft continued flying late into the night.
While she welcomed the idea of local soldiers receiving specialised training, the resident said the experience exposed how vulnerable she felt.
“It’s something so unusual… like something is happening and you’re in shock. Is this the reality of Trinidad and Tobago? We’re so small—if someone wants to do something to us, they don’t have to do much.”
Another resident on Antigua Road, Wallerfield, said he saw three helicopters flying in formation on Monday afternoon. He described the sight as “impressive,” but also unsettling.
“I never saw helicopters like that before—it was a nice sight,” he said. “But you also have to wonder what it means with everything going on in Venezuela. You don’t see that kind of activity just so… there has to be something behind it.”
