Venezuela on Sunday condemned what it described as a military provocation by neighboring Trinidad and Tobago, coordinated with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, aimed at sparking a full-scale confrontation with the Latin American nation. The government claims it captured a group of mercenaries allegedly carrying direct information from American intelligence, whose mission was to execute a false-flag attack in the region.
A false-flag operation is designed to appear as though it is carried out by another party. Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, said the operation is “underway in waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago or from Trinidadian or Venezuelan territory to generate a full military confrontation with our country,” though she did not provide further evidence or specifics.
The accusations come amid joint U.S.-Trinidad and Tobago military exercises in the Caribbean. Earlier this month, former U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed authorizing the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. The Pentagon has also escalated its military presence in the region, deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group, while U.S. forces have carried out maritime strikes targeting alleged drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and Pacific.
President Nicolas Maduro’s government has a history of levying false-flag allegations, including claims of a plot to plant explosives in the U.S. embassy in Caracas earlier this month. Neither the U.S. State Department nor the CIA has provided comment on the latest Venezuelan accusations.
The incident heightens tensions in the Caribbean, raising concerns about potential escalation between Venezuela and U.S.-aligned forces operating in the region.
