Trinidad and Tobago Declares Highest Military Alert Amid US-Venezuela Tensions

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has placed its armed forces on a “State One Alert Level,” the nation’s highest level of operational readiness. An internal memo circulated to the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) on October 30, 2025, ordered all soldiers and Coast Guard officers to report to their respective bases for a general muster.
The memo, which stated “This is not a drill,” advised all ranks to make arrangements with their families and prepare for potential confinement to their bases. Soldiers were directed to return to main bases at Cumuto, La Romaine, Chaguaramas, and Long Circular, while Coast Guard personnel were recalled to Staubles Bay, Galeota Point, and the Cedros Security Complex.
While Defence Minister Wayne Sturge declined to confirm the order in Parliament, citing public interest, the move has triggered widespread public anxiety. The high alert coincides directly with a severe escalation of the crisis in neighboring Venezuela.
The United States has amassed a significant naval fleet in the Caribbean, including an aircraft carrier strike group, and has authorized airstrikes against land-based military targets inside Venezuela. The U.S. campaign is aimed at ousting President Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington accuses of running a “narco-terrorist” state.
Trinidad and Tobago has been drawn into the center of the conflict. The island nation, located just off the Venezuelan coast, recently hosted the U.S. destroyer USS Gravely for joint exercises. This act prompted a furious response from Caracas, with Maduro’s government accusing Trinidad of “hostile” actions and acting as an “aircraft carrier of the U.S. empire.” In retaliation, Venezuela suspended all bilateral energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago on October 27.
The TTDF’s high alert is seen as a direct response to this rapidly militarizing and unpredictable environment. The U.S. military has already conducted over a dozen lethal strikes on alleged “narco-terrorist” boats in the waters between Venezuela and Trinidad, and the threat of a larger U.S. land-based strike places Trinidad and Tobago in a volatile buffer zone.