By Johnny Coomansingh
In one of my geography classes at Kansas State University, I learnt: Geography is about where things are, why they are there, and how they affect our lives. I also realised, while studying in this great field of art and science, that statistics could lie, but the Earth does not lie. On October 26, 2025, the USS Gravely Destroyer docked in the Port of Spain harbor, Trinidad. The ship will remain in the waters of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) until Thursday, October 30, 2025. We all know where this ship is at the moment, but do we know why it is here and how it will affect us? My mother used to warn me, especially when I started ‘looking’ for girlfriends: “What you could see in the day, don’t wait till night to take a candle to see.”
Few will deny that there has been a serious political situation where the president of the United States of America took umbrage with the Venezuelan nation, and in particular, Nicholas Maduro, the president of Venezuela, because it is thought that Venezuela is involved with narcotrafficking. According to the US Department of State, Nicholas Maduro Moros is wanted by the US “In March 2020, Maduro was charged in the Southern District of New York for narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.”
Amidst these political overtones, and despite US sanctions on Venezuela, the former government of T&T brokered a deal with Venezuela in late December 2023 for the exploration and exploitation of natural gas from the Dragon Gas field located in Venezuelan waters. However, the US was not comfortable with the arrangement and advised Dr Keith C. Rowley, former prime minister of T&T to discontinue the connection with Venezuela.
In terms of relative location, Trinidad is a mere seven miles east of Venezuela. Because of its proximity, thousands of Venezuelans (Venez) have already ‘invaded’ Trinidad, bringing with them their cultural baggage; crime being part of that baggage. According to Anna Ramdass, in her article: ‘Govt to deport 200 illegal migrants–detained at nation’s jails …’ published in the Trinidad Express September 10, 2025, the Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of T&T said that her government “is moving decisively to deport more than 200 migrants who are here illegally and are filling the nation’s jails.” She said that she is also “committed to securing the country’s borders and dealing frontally with illegal immigration.”
In the said article, the prime minister of T&T, has shown support for the “US military presence and deadly strikes on what the US has alleged are drug boats in waters off Venezuela. US forces have blown up at least ten boats they claimed were smuggling narcotics, killing at least 43 people…” During one of the attacks on one of the suspected drug boats, two Trinidadians were killed, one of whom, his mother insisted he was a fisherman, and not a drug trafficker. But “Tensions rise in the Caribbean as families of fallen men accuse Trump of unjust killings.”
Whether the citizens of T&T believe it or not, T&T is geographically and historically an illegal drug transhipment point. In my teaching on the Caribbean region, I had to mention this fact in my classes. However, some people are still seeing with their ‘eyes wide shut.’ Not only is T&T such a state, but the country has been plagued with illegal gun running, illicit drug abuse, gang activity, banditry, home invasions, rape, extortion (illegal collection of ‘protection money’), grand theft auto, kidnapping for ransom, and murder! The murders committed up to October 22, 2025, stand at 305. Ryan Hamilton reported in Newsday, October 12, 2025, that there were 20 murders in seven days—the bloodiest week of the year. It is pellucid that there is a terrible war going on every day in T&T. But wait! There is the possibility of a real war on the horizon in the Caribbean basin.
There is a warship right now in Port of Spain. Incidentally, there was a C17 United States Airforce (USAF) warplane that recently landed at the Piarco International Airport. Although the press did not receive too much information, it was revealed that the warplane came to retrieve the body of a navy officer who committed suicide in Port of Spain. Nevertheless, the locals believed or alleged that there is ‘something more in the mortar beside the pestle.’ In a report from the Trinidad Guardian on October 04, 2025, Anna-Lisa Paul reported in her article: ‘US Naval officer dies by suicide, local police not informed:’
The incident reportedly occurred on US soil in T&T, and according to the principle of international law, diplomatic immunity grants foreign diplomats legal protection from the jurisdiction of the host country…Guardian Media reached out to the US Chargé d’Affaires, Dr Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz, who said, “The US Embassy community is mourning the death of a colleague. We are deeply grateful for the constant and caring support of the government and people of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Concerning the Americas, France 24, in conjunction with AP and AFP news on October 26, 2025 reported: ‘US warship docks in Trinidad and Tobago as Trump steps up military pressure on Venezuela.’ The article stated:
“A US guided missile destroyer docked in the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago Sunday as the administration of US president Donald Trump continued its campaign of military pressure against Venezuela. The USS Gravely will remain in Trinidad until Thursday, said US officials… The arrival of the USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, in the capital of the Caribbean nation is in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela. Maduro criticised the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the US government to fabricate “a new eternal war” against his country.”
However, Neidhart de Ortiz gave reasons for the ship’s visit in the article. She informed that the exercises seek “to address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts,” Contrary to this, on Sunday, Venezuelan authorities stated that this “‘dangerous conduct of military exercises’ in the waters of a neighboring country constitute a ‘serious threat’ to the Caribbean region and a ‘hostile provocation’ toward the South American nation…” The visit of the USS Gravely comes “one week after the US Embassy in T&T warned Americans to stay away from US government facilities there. Local authorities said a reported threat against Americans prompted the warning.”
There are serious fears among the citizens of T&T about this situation in the Caribbean region, especially when we (T&T) are so geographically close to Venezuela. So far, I found on Cable News Network (CNN) on October 19, 2025, in the article, ‘Here’s what the US military has positioned as Trump pressures Venezuela:’
USS Iwo Jima–Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, USS Fort Lauderdale–Amphibious Transport Dock, USS San Antonio–Amphibious Transport Dock, USS Lake Erie–Guided Missile Cruiser, USS Gravely–Destroyer, USS Jason Dunham–Destroyer, USS Stockdale–Destroyer, MV Ocean Trader–Special Operations Ship, USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul–Littoral Combat Ship, USS Newport News–Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine, V-22 Osprey–Tiltrotor Military Transport and Cargo Aircraft, Seahawk–Navy Helicopter, UH-60 Black Hawk–Medium Lift Military Utility Helicopter, MQ-9 Reaper–at least 3 units, P-8 Poseidon–Reconnaisance aircraft, F-35—10 Fighter Jets, Harrier–Fighter Jet, T-38 Talon–Supersonic Jet Trainer, C-17 Globemaster III–Large Military Transport Aircraft, B-52 Stratofortress–Long Range Strategic Bomber, AC-130J Ghostrider— Heavily Armed Fixed-wing Gunship,
C-130J Super Hercules— Tactical Aerial Refueling and Transport, KC-46 Pegasus–Aerial Refueling and Strategic Military Transport Aircraft, C-5M Super Galaxy–Strategic Transport Aircraft, KC-135 Stratotanker–Aerial Refueling Stratotanker, and more than 4500 marines and sailors.
Anyone could see that the US is poised and prepared for some type of war. It speaks for itself with this powerful arsenal; this armada. Will the ends justify the means? The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has raised its voice against the positioning of the U.S. in the Caribbean region. Caricom has labelled the area as a ‘Zone of Peace,’ and has buffeted the prime minister of T&T for standing firmly with the Americans.
Almost immediately after the 2025 United Nations conference in the US, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of T&T received permission from the US to proceed with the Dragon gas project. Trinidad and Tobago also acquired the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) license to proceed with the Dragon gas project. (An OFAC license is an authorisation from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that allows individuals or entities to conduct transactions that would otherwise be prohibited by US sanctions).
Notwithstanding the presence of thousands of Venezuelans who are now resident in T&T and thousands of USD paid upfront to Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, vice president of Venezuela, mentioned that the Dragon gas project with T&T would be discontinued. In an article from Reuters, Vivian Sequera and Deisy Buitrago, in their article: ‘Venezuela suspends energy agreements with Trinidad, including gas projects’ on October 27, 2025, Nicholas Maduro said: “I have approved the measure…His order immediately suspended all aspects of the energy agreement with Trinidad and Tobago…That would likely mean Venezuela would revoke the license to develop the massive Dragon natural gas field, among other projects.”
Maduro made his point, but in the article published in the Trinidad Express on October 22, 2025, titled, ‘PM to CARICOM: Take the Venezuelans,’ Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of T&T “suggested that Caricom countries come together to take in Venezuelans who have migrated to Trinidad and Tobago illegally and who she says are costing taxpayers millions.” She added:
“I have made it explicitly clear that Trinidad and Tobago will always come first under my leadership. No other country besides the US is willing to assist us to aggressively fighting the drug and arms traffickers…I am not going to toe Caricom’s line while our country is going to hell with drugs, out-of-control violent crime and murders for the last 20 years. Added to that, we have tens of thousands of illegal Venezuelan immigrants here who are putting a strain on our services. I simply do not care if anyone withdraws their support. That is their choice.”
Whether or not sabers are rattling in the Caribbean Basin, we in T&T would hope for the best solutions to quell the angst among citizens, Caricom states, and other countries of the Caribbean region. War is never the best or greatest idea: “When elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.”
We witnessed what could have happened in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. We are cognizant of what occurred in the Dominican War of 1965, the 1970 Jamaat al-Muslimeen attempted coup in T&T, and the Grenadian unrest in 1983. We also know: “Cockroach must not be in a fowl party.” Also note: ‘When yuh hand in the lion mouth yuh must pull it out easy.” Regardless, it is T&T that is taking the brunt of the ‘blows’ from the Venezuelan illegals. In 2023, it was recorded by ACAP that 40,800 Venezuelans were present in T&T. Some say that this figure has probably doubled. Hope is all we have here in the Caribbean.
