Activities linked to a new round of United States military cooperation drew both praise and controversy on Monday as Trinidad and Tobago continued hosting the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit for a week of joint operations with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The deployment, which began on November 16 and runs until November 21, marks the Marines’ second visit in less than a month after an earlier stopover in late October.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has framed the engagement as a central element of her national security strategy. In a message posted to her official X account, she said the exercises highlight what she called the “deep and enduring” security ties between Port of Spain and Washington. She credited previous collaboration with reducing the flow of guns, drugs and trafficked persons into the country, writing that the United States’ presence “has already contributed to a significant reduction” in such activity. Trinidad and Tobago, she added, benefits as “a small nation facing transnational criminal networks.”

Persad-Bissessar also pointed to escalating gang violence, describing recent incidents as “open lawlessness on our streets” and urging the public to remember the victims. She said the joint training would help strengthen the Defence Force’s readiness and intelligence capacity. “Our partnership with the US has already achieved meaningful success,” she stated, adding that both countries intend to continue their efforts “until we win the war on crime.”

During their stay, Marines are taking part in community outreach, including visits to schools. Persad-Bissessar publicly thanked United States officials, including Chargé d’Affaires Dr Neidhart de Ortiz, saying the operation would help usher in “a safer, stronger Trinidad and Tobago.”

The renewed deployment has, however, triggered a sharp response from Venezuela. President Nicolás Maduro accused Trinidad and Tobago of aligning with Washington to disturb regional stability. His government suspended energy agreements with Port of Spain and declared the Prime Minister persona non grata. Demonstrators in Caracas held protests in opposition to the Marines’ arrival.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Sean Sobers rejected suggestions that the United States presence has any connection to potential operations against Venezuela. Washington has increased its military assets in the Caribbean since August, citing anti-narcotics efforts. United States Southern Command reports that twenty-one airstrikes since September have killed eighty-three suspected traffickers, including three men over the weekend in the Eastern Pacific.

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