Port-au-Spain: A US Navy destroyer docked in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital on Sunday as the Trump administration ramped up military pressure on Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro. The visit by the USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer, comes as aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford moves closer to Venezuelan waters.

Maduro condemned the deployment, accusing Washington of trying to provoke “a new eternal war” against his country. President Donald Trump recently alleged—without providing evidence—that the Venezuelan leader heads the transnational criminal network Tren de Aragua.

According to US and local officials, the USS Gravely will remain in Port of Spain until Thursday to conduct joint training drills with Trinidad and Tobago’s defence forces. A senior Trinidadian military source, speaking anonymously, told The Associated Press that the deployment was finalised only recently.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has publicly supported the US presence, backing Washington’s recent operations targeting suspected drug boats off Venezuela’s coast. US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said the exercises aim to “address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts.”

The warship’s visit follows a US Embassy alert last week warning American citizens to stay away from embassy facilities after a reported security threat.

However, the docking has sparked protests in the Caribbean nation. David Abdulah, leader of the Movement for Social Justice party, criticised the government’s decision, calling the warship’s presence “an abomination.” He warned that its proximity to Venezuela increased the risk of regional conflict.

Caricom, the 15-member Caribbean bloc of which Trinidad and Tobago is part, has urged dialogue and restraint. Persad-Bissessar, however, defended her stance, arguing the region “is not a zone of peace” given the high rates of violent crime across the Caribbean.

With inputs from AP