Trinidad holds ‘excellent’ security talks with US military chief

The chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, met Tuesday with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and senior members of her cabinet, reaffirming what both sides described as a strong and longstanding security partnership. The discussions focused on shared priorities, including regional stability and the growing threat posed by illicit trafficking networks operating across the Caribbean.

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Ahead of the visit, the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain said Caine’s trip would emphasize the two countries’ “strong bilateral relationship” and expand cooperation on countering narcotics, arms smuggling, human trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.

Joint Staff spokesperson Joseph Holstead said the talks included a detailed exchange on “challenges affecting the Caribbean region, including the destabilising effects of illicit narcotics, arms, and human trafficking, and transnational criminal organisation activities.” He added that Caine stressed the importance of close U.S.–Trinidad and Tobago cooperation as a cornerstone of regional security.

“General Caine expressed appreciation for Trinidad and Tobago’s continued leadership and partnership in advancing mutual objectives and reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to working closely with Trinidad and Tobago to address shared threats and deepen collaboration across the Caribbean,” Holstead said.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar echoed that message in a post on X, describing the talks as “excellent” and noting that both countries “continue to share a strong and enduring partnership.”

Caine’s visit comes during a period of increased U.S. military activity in the Caribbean Sea. President Donald Trump has deployed an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of an operation targeting Latin American drug cartels. The buildup also includes a nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, multiple destroyers, a guided-missile cruiser, and the U.S.’s largest aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford.

At the same time, Washington has drawn international criticism for bombing vessels in international waters, claiming that the targets were drug traffickers.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the airstrikes, warning that they “violate international human rights law” and calling for them to stop immediately.

On Tuesday, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Albert Ramdin urged both Venezuela and the United States to avoid military escalation, insisting that the Western Hemisphere must remain a “zone of peace.”

“I hope that both countries, Venezuela and the United States … restrain themselves and make sure whatever other path can be found diplomatically, negotiations to solve their problems at a different level … should be a priority,” Ramdin said. “Nobody gains from a war … Peace in the end is what everybody in this hemisphere wants.”

Regional leaders have also been assessing the situation. The Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said last month that heads of government had discussed the U.S. military build-up and its potential impact on member states, though the statement noted that Trinidad and Tobago did not endorse the position taken at that meeting.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Washington of pursuing regime change through its naval deployments. He has also accused Persad-Bissessar of allowing Trinidad and Tobago to be used to advance U.S. plans — a claim her government has not acknowledged publicly.

As the geopolitical climate grows more complex, officials in Port of Spain and Washington continue to stress cooperation and diplomacy, even as questions linger about the broader implications of intensified military activity in the region.