PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — The announcement of an upcoming visit by a United States Navy warship has ignited national debate in Trinidad and Tobago, prompting Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to defend her government’s cooperation with U.S. military forces amid mounting regional tension and opposition criticism.
The Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs confirmed that the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, will dock in Port of Spain from October 26 to 30 as part of joint military engagements. The visit will coincide with training exercises between the 22nd U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF).
The Gravely is among at least three similar destroyers — including the USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson — deployed across the Caribbean since September 2 as part of a broader U.S. military buildup reportedly aimed at counter-narcotics operations, maritime surveillance, and escort missions. Each vessel carries Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range exceeding 1,000 miles and is equipped with advanced radar and missile defense systems.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Caribbean deployment involves an estimated 10,000 troops and follows Washington’s move earlier this year to designate Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and other criminal groups as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). The U.S. military has since launched at least eight strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, resulting in more than 40 deaths, including a recent attack announced Friday by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In a statement Friday, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar defended her administration’s stance, saying the U.S. warship’s visit represents “a continued partnership in strengthening our national security, enhancing operational readiness, and improving protective capabilities.”
“For far too long, our open and poorly secured borders have facilitated the trafficking of humans, drugs, and firearms,” she said. “Tens of thousands of illegal migrants have entered our country, and over 10,000 citizens have been brutally murdered in the last two decades.”
Persad-Bissessar accused the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) of deliberately spreading “hysteria and conspiracy theories” about the ship’s presence, adding that the PNM was “long suspected of being financed by the local drug mafia.”
“Clearly, the PNM’s daily disinformation campaign is aimed at derailing ongoing interdiction efforts to protect their drug mafia financiers,” the Prime Minister charged.
She also cited longstanding defense accords with Washington, including the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) — first signed in 2007 and renewed in 2013 and again in December 2024 — which underpins cooperation through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Technical Assistance Field Team (CBSI-TAFT) and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).
“We need all the help we can get to protect our people,” Persad-Bissessar said. “Trinidad and Tobago must always come first.”
The Prime Minister insisted that her government will continue to collaborate with international partners to bolster national security and safeguard citizens.
( Source: Trinidad Express)