The disclosure that Trinidad and Tobago has permitted the installation of a sophisticated US military radar system has ignited significant fears that the Caribbean region could become entangled in the intensifying geopolitical crisis between the United States and Venezuela.
From Road Construction to Radar Revelation
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar initially sought to downplay concerns after a US Air Force C-17 aircraft landed in the twin-island nation. She asserted the aircraft was transporting marines to assist with a road construction project and claimed no US military personnel remained in the country.
This narrative quickly unravelled when images and videos surfaced showing US marines at a hotel in Tobago and what appeared to be a military radar installation on the island. Confronted by reporters, Persad-Bissessar conceded on Friday that at least 100 US marines were present in Trinidad and Tobago, alongside a high-grade military radar.
The equipment is believed to be a long-range, high-performance AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR system, manufactured by the US defence giant Northrop Grumman. The company states this technology is designed for air surveillance, defence, and counter-fire missions.
A Counter-Drug Strategy or a Strategic Foothold?
The Prime Minister defended the installation, stating it was part of a counter-narcotics trafficking strategy. She explained that details were withheld "in the interest of national security and to avoid alerting drug traffickers." Persad-Bissessar has been a vocal supporter of the expanding US military presence in the Caribbean.
Since September 2025, the US has conducted at least 21 airstrikes on suspected drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, resulting in over 80 fatalities, including several Trinidadian citizens. This military buildup has been underscored by the deployment of the USS Gerald Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, and its strike group to South American waters.
However, Persad-Bissessar firmly rejected claims that the radar was intended to support US pressure tactics against Venezuela, a nation whose coast lies just seven miles from Trinidad at the closest point. Defence Minister Wayne Sturge echoed this, stating the country "is not a launch pad for any military operations."
Political Backlash and Regional Alarm
The opposition has reacted with fury. Marvin Gonzales, an opposition MP and former national security minister, accused the government of profound deception. "They have sold the soul of the nation for a mess of portage," he declared, suggesting the nation's sovereignty had been cheaply bargained away.
David Abdulah, political leader of the Movement for Social Justice, went further, alleging the Prime Minister was "complicit in the extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean Sea" through her support for US airstrikes. He warned that the radar installation directly involves the country in US war plans, tarnishing its international reputation.
Caribbean political analyst Peter Wickham cautioned that these actions risk dragging the region back to a Cold War-era mentality. He argued the "war on drugs" is being used as a pretext for alliance with the Trump administration. "If you have a US-administered military radar in Tobago, that's essentially a military installation," Wickham stated, noting it requires a permanent US maintenance presence and becomes a potential target.
He expressed concern that Donald Trump is planning an initiative against Venezuela and has a willing ally in Persad-Bissessar, a move that could devastate the region's tourism-dependent economies.
Former foreign minister Amery Browne, now an opposition senator, warned the Prime Minister is taking deliberate steps to draw the nation into a conflict, putting its people and resources at unnecessary risk. He accused her of "loudly and publicly cheerleading" a regime-change agenda and supporting airstrikes that violate international law.
The situation leaves Trinidad and Tobago, and the wider Caribbean, balancing on a knife's edge, caught between regional security partnerships and the perilous currents of a major international confrontation.
