Venezuela says it has captured a group of mercenaries and accuses the U.S. intelligence service and Trinidad and Tobago of plotting a “false-flag” attack intended to provoke a military confrontation, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said Sunday, according to Trinidad Express.
The claim came hours after the U.S. destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107) docked in Port-of-Spain for a scheduled four-day visit and joint training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, the island nation’s Foreign Ministry said.
In a government communique, Rodríguez alleged the detained group had “direct information of the American intelligence agency” and that the operation would be launched from waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago or from territory there or in Venezuela. The statement warned the episode recalled past incidents — including the Battleship Maine and the Gulf of Tonkin — that led to wider U.S. military interventions.
Trinidad and Tobago’s government announced the Gravely’s port visit this week as part of military-to-military cooperation; local media and regional outlets reported demonstrations in Port-of-Spain protesting the U.S. presence. Officials in Port-of-Spain have described the visit as a routine exchange.
Venezuela’s statement also singled out Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, accusing her of subordinating national sovereignty to U.S. policy and turning Trinidad and Tobago into “a US aircraft carrier” in the Caribbean. Caracas said its armed forces would remain mobilized and alert. The Venezuelan claim offered no publicly available evidence; U.S. and Trinidadian officials did not immediately comment.
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