Trinidad & Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, rejected claims by the opposition that the US military radar installation was in support of the US campaign, whilst the opposition stated that the ‘soul of the nation had been sold’!
The revelation that Trinidad & Tobago had approved the installation of a US military radar facility has struck fears that the Caribbean could be drawn into the escalating crisis between the US & Venezuela.
Trinidad’s PM had attempted to allay concerns about a US C-17 aircraft that had arrived in the country. The PM had stated that this aircraft was carrying marines to assist with the road construction project. The PM had added that she was told that no Marines had remained in the country.
However, footage later emerged of US Marines at a Tobago hotel and of a radar installation on the island.
After being pressed by reporters, Persad-Bissessar admitted on Friday that at least 100 marines were present in the country. This was along with a military-grade radar that was believed to be a long-range, high-performance AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR type. US defense company Northrop Grumman shared that this type of radar was deployed for air surveillance and defense, besides counter-fire.
The Trinidad PM had further stated that the radar installation in the country was strategic since the location was only 7 miles away from Venezuela’s closest border point. It is part of a counter-drug trafficking strategy, and she had withheld details in the interest of national security, besides avoiding alerting drug traffickers.
Persad-Bissessar has consistently sustained strong support for the US military buildup in the Caribbean. During the past 2 months, since September 2025, the US has launched at least 21 airstrikes on alleged narcotics smugglers in both the Caribbean Sea & the Pacific Ocean. These strikes have led to the killing of more than 80 people that including several Trinidad citizens.
