Venezuela has accused the United States and Trinidad and Tobago of orchestrating a covert operation to destabilize the Caribbean, escalating tensions in a region already strained by geopolitical rivalries, according to a report by The Miami Herald.

On Sunday, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced the alleged capture of “mercenaries” linked to the CIA, describing the arrests as part of a “false-flag operation” intended to provoke a military confrontation with Venezuela. The government provided no details on the number of suspects or the circumstances of their detention, leaving the claims unsubstantiated.

Venezuela also accused Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of surrendering her nation’s sovereignty to U.S. interests, effectively turning the country into a “military colony.”

The Maduro regime also criticized the joint military exercises between the U.S. Southern Command and Trinidad, labeling them a “hostile provocation” that threatens regional stability.

“By aligning herself with Washington’s militarist agenda, Persad-Bissessar not only seeks to attack Venezuela and break our historical bonds of brotherhood, but also violates the United Nations Charter, the CELAC declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, and the principles of CARICOM,” the Venezuelan government’s statement read.
Venezuela also claimed, without evidence, that Trinidad was responsible for human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings.

“We do not seek war with anyone. We have never declared war on anyone,” Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello told NTN24. “But we have learned to defend ourselves, and we have also learned to carry out devastating counterattacks when necessary.”

The accusations come amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to combat drug trafficking, with a particular focus on the Cartel de los Soles, which U.S. officials allege is led by Maduro. The ongoing operation has resulted in the killing of 43 alleged drug dealers and two captures, according to The Miami Herald.

This kind of sounds like a repeat of 2024, when Venezuela announced that it had detained four US citizens and a handful of other foreign nationals, who they say were working with the CIA and Spanish intelligence to overthrow Maduro - something both western governments have denied. 

Last week, Trump has signaled the possibility of expanding operations, including potential ground interventions in Venezuela, a move which could anger the non-interventionist supporters.\“We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” Trump said recently. “We’ve almost totally stopped it by sea. Now we’ll stop it by land.”

Last month, Trump posted a video on Truth Social of a video showing women, some appearing overweight, training with guns for what was claimed to be the Venezuelan militia.