US warship arrives in Trinidad and Tobago amid regional tensions

The United States warship USS Gravely arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, even as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar sought to downplay threats of military aggression in the region.

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Speaking at the 86th annual conference of her ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) on Saturday night, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley expressed concern over “menacing military” US vessels across the Caribbean Sea. She urged dialogue to prevent war and highlighted the region’s vulnerability amid multiple threats, including the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which is likely to impact Jamaica, Haiti, and other countries this week.

“We don’t have to look any further than the menacing military vessels from the United States across the Caribbean Sea, including what is reputed to be the world’s largest warship. These are not times of pirates anymore, this is 2025 and we have cause to be duly concerned,” Mottley said.

Last week, the U.S. government announced it is intensifying its military build-up in the Caribbean, deploying the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, and its carrier air wing as part of a counter-drug initiative. Washington said the enhanced US force presence in the Southern Command area would bolster the capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit activities threatening US security.

The U.S. has recently deployed several warships and over 10,000 troops to the Caribbean. At least two Trinidad and Tobago nationals have reportedly been killed in US military operations targeting vessels allegedly transporting illegal drugs.

The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Foreign and Caribbean Community Affairs said the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, will remain docked in Port-of-Spain until October 30. Joint training exercises between the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) will focus on infantry tactics, maintenance procedures, and advanced medical capabilities.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, a supporter of the US initiative, dismissed a recent statement from former CARICOM leaders urging a pullback from military build-up to maintain the region as a “zone of peace.”

“We have had over 600 murders last year and almost every year counting. They have not had that experience. So, I think they have a different reality. In Trinidad and Tobago, the reality is we are crime-ridden, we are drug-ridden. They are entitled to their view on the whole issue of a zone of peace, but in Trinidad and Tobago there is clearly no zone of peace,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar added that her country is geographically closest to the source of narcotics, human trafficking, and gun running, and emphasized that safety is the top priority. She highlighted benefits from the US visit, including infrastructure support, training, and humanitarian assistance in schools and military bases.

Mottley, however, warned that the region faces “an extremely dangerous and untenable situation in the southern Caribbean” and reaffirmed the importance of the Caribbean as a zone of peace.

“Peace is critical to all that we do in this region and now that peace is being threatened we have to speak up,” she said, thanking former Prime Ministers Golding and Patterson for their strong statement in support of CARICOM’s founding principles.

Mottley emphasized the rule of law and cautioned against conflating law enforcement with military action. “We equally do not accept that any nation in our region or the greater Caribbean should be the subject of an imposition upon them of any unilateral expression of force and violence by any third party or nation,” she said.

She added that disputes should be resolved through negotiation and peaceful methods, advocating the United Nations as the appropriate forum for conflict resolution.