The Caribbean is feeling the tremors of an escalating confrontation—one that could redraw security dynamics across this region and deepen uncertainty for small nations caught between sovereign interests and geopolitical power plays.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump told American service members during a Thanksgiving call that operations targeting alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking networks would be expanding to land “very soon.” His language was blunt and foreboding. After boasting that maritime routes had been largely choked off, he warned traffickers to “stop sending poison to our country,” signalling that Washington is preparing to intensify strikes just outside our maritime borders.
These comments follow a series of high-level briefings and a growing US military presence in the hemisphere. Earlier this week, Trump designated Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his allies as members of a foreign terrorist organisation.
Although experts widely argue that this term describes a loose network of allegedly corrupt officials rather than a formal cartel, the designation allows the White House to impose sweeping new sanctions. It does not, however, explicitly permit the use of lethal force. Yet the heavy US build-up in the region suggests that Washington may be prepared to test the limits of that distinction.
The Pentagon’s “Operation Southern Spear” has already deployed more than a dozen warships and some 15,000 troops to Caribbean waters. The campaign has reportedly killed more than 80 people in boat strikes linked to anti-drug-trafficking operations.
As tensions rise, the region’s traditional role as a geopolitical buffer zone is narrowing dangerously.
Against this backdrop, T&T finds itself managing mixed messages at home. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s shifting statements about the presence of US marines in Tobago have done little to reassure the public. On Wednesday, she insisted that all American troops had left the country following joint exercises held between November 16 and 21. But within 24 hours, she confirmed that US personnel were still in Tobago, assisting with runway upgrades, road works, and the installation of a new radar system.
The Prime Minister attributed these activities to national security priorities—specifically improving surveillance capacity against narco-traffickers. Yet she offered no explanation for the sudden reversal in her earlier claim. The public deserves clarity, especially as sightings of marines at a Tobago hotel and flight-tracking data showing military aircraft at ANR Robinson Airport fuel speculation.
The timing is also significant. Since October, visits by US military assets have increased notably, including the USS Gravely’s stopover and the repeated arrival of troops from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. Additionally, Persad-Bissessar’s recent meeting with General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, underscored Washington’s intensified diplomatic and military engagement in the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, the US is broadening its alliances. A day after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met leaders in the Dominican Republic—where the government agreed to open restricted zones for anti-drug operations—Hegseth appeared aboard the USS Gerald R Ford, reinforcing the impression of a coordinated regional strategy.
These developments demand sober reflection. While T&T must safeguard its borders against illicit trafficking, transparency is essential. The Caribbean cannot afford to be swept into the slipstream of escalating US-Venezuela hostilities without a clear public understanding of the risks.
In uncertain times, candour and caution must guide our leaders. The region’s stability depends on it.
