US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago Warns Citizens as Tensions With Venezuela Rise

The U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago has warned American citizens to stay away from U.S. government facilities in the Caribbean nation, citing a “heightened state of alert.”

In a security alert on Oct. 18, the embassy urged Americans in the country to remain vigilant, be aware of their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity to local authorities.

It also advised U.S. citizens to monitor “reputable news outlets” for updates and to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security alerts directly from the embassy.

Trinidad and Tobago, located off the northeastern coast of Venezuela, is caught in regional tensions as Washington increases pressure on Caracas, including through tariffs on countries that buy Venezuelan oil and military operations targeting drug-trafficking vessels.

In recent weeks, U.S. forces have carried out at least five strikes on suspected drug-carrying boats near Venezuelan waters, killing dozens of alleged narcotics traffickers. President Donald Trump confirmed the most recent strike during a White House press conference on Oct. 17, saying U.S. forces struck a submersible vessel “built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs.”

Trump has also confirmed that he has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela through what is formally known as a presidential finding. Historically, such findings have paved the way for drone strikes, the covert funding and arming of insurgent groups, and even large-scale efforts aimed at regime change.

Venezuelan officials have condemned these moves.

Speaking before the U.N. Security Council on Oct. 16, Venezuelan ambassador Samuel Moncada held up the front page of the local Trinidad Guardian newspaper, which reported claims that two Trinidadian fishermen were among those killed in a U.S. strike.

The Trinidad Guardian story cited residents of a fishing village who said two local men had sailed to Venezuela and never returned, prompting fears that they were killed in a U.S. attack. No evidence has yet been presented to support such claims, and U.S. officials have not commented on the story.

Moncada also condemned the CIA authorization, accusing Washington of granting “a license to carry out political assassinations in Venezuela and throughout the region.”

Trump Targets Maduro Regime

The strikes come amid an intensifying pressure campaign against socialist strongman Nicolás Maduro, who has held power since 2013.

U.S. officials accuse Maduro of personally directing the Cartel de los Soles, also known as Cartel of the Suns, a drug syndicate allegedly embedded within Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislative, and judicial institutions.

Trump has also linked the Maduro regime to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan prison gang designated as a terrorist organization, calling it a state-sponsored invading force and invoking the wartime Alien Enemies Act to fast-track the deportation of suspected gang members.

The United States does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. In 2019, the United States severed diplomatic ties with Venezuela after Trump, alongside many other Latin American leaders, rejected Maduro’s highly disputed reelection.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism charges, initially offering a $10 million reward for his capture. That figure was raised to $25 million in the final days of the Biden administration, and the Trump administration has recently doubled it to $50 million.

“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like [Tren de Aragua], Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Aug. 7 in a video message announcing the $50 million reward.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has thus far seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro’s network, Bondi said, and “nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself, which represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico.”

Much of the product is laced with fentanyl, she said, a combination that has fueled “the loss and destruction of countless American lives.”