Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Wednesday that a newly installed US radar system in the twin-island nation is designed to curb drug trafficking and monitor sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments moving through the region.
The radar, part of a recent uptick in US-Trinidad cooperation, was installed at a new airport site and became operational just days after Persad-Bissessar confirmed its arrival on November 27.
The prime minister, a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, said the equipment strengthens surveillance capabilities long sought by Port of Spain.
“The new radar system assists with the detection of Venezuelan crude oil sanction-busting activities and traffickers who have been conducting deliveries of narcotics, firearms, ammunition and migrants into our country from Venezuela,” she said in a statement.
US presence in the Caribbean
Washington has expanded its military presence in the Caribbean in recent months, deploying warships — including the world’s largest aircraft carrier — and conducting joint drills with Trinidad and Tobago.
The campaign has included lethal strikes on more than 22 vessels since August, killing at least 83 people, actions experts warn may violate international law.
Caracas has condemned the increased US presence as a provocation, accusing Washington of seeking to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro under the guise of counter-narcotics operations.
It has also criticised Persad-Bissessar, alleging she is enabling US plans to threaten Venezuela — accusations she firmly rejects.
Trump has maintained sweeping sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector since first imposing an embargo in 2019, and his administration now labels Maduro’s government a “drug cartel.”
Persad-Bissessar said the new radar represents “a superior layer of protection that was previously unavailable.”
