The United States Embassy in Port of Spain has issued an urgent security alert for Trinidad and Tobago, warning U.S. citizens of a “heightened state of alert” and advising them to “avoid and refrain from visiting all U.S. Government facilities” through the holiday weekend. This extraordinary warning, published Saturday, is a direct consequence of the rapidly deteriorating and volatile security situation in the Southern Caribbean, which is now the epicenter of a major U.S.-Venezuela standoff.
The alert, which also advises citizens to be aware of their surroundings and monitor reputable news outlets, did not specify the exact nature of the threat. However, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, confirmed to The Associated Press that the warning “is based on threats directed at American citizens” and “could be linked to the ongoing tensions in the region.”
Those tensions have reached a fever pitch over the last 72 hours. The alert follows a series of aggressive U.S. military actions aimed at the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro, which is located just seven miles off the coast of Trinidad. This includes the high-profile deployment of B-52 strategic bombers on a “show of force” mission in international waters near Caracas, a move that prompted Venezuela to scramble its own F-16 fighter jets.
Even more significant is the new U.S. military campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, which the U.S. has designated as “unlawful combatants.” At least six such strikes have occurred since September, killing more than 28 people. These operations have directly impacted Trinidad and Tobago, where two local fishermen are believed to have been killed in one of the U.S. strikes this past Tuesday.
This military posturing is backstopped by a complete diplomatic collapse and a newly authorized covert war. The White House, which recently terminated all diplomatic outreach to Caracas, has reportedly given the CIA a secret “finding” to conduct lethal operations against the Maduro regime and its allied cartels.
The U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain, as a highly visible symbol of American power, is a potential prime target for a retaliatory act by Venezuelan state actors, proxy forces, or allied cartels angered by the U.S. military campaign. The security alert makes it clear that U.S. authorities believe the threat of a “spillover” attack is now credible and imminent, transforming the popular island nation into a new frontline in the escalating Caribbean crisis.
The embassy is urging all U.S. citizens in the country to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive direct security updates.
