Troops from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit launched several days of training today in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean island nation only miles from Venezuela.
According to both the U.S. embassy in Trinidad and Tobago and the nation’s security forces, Marines from the 22nd MEU will be carrying out night-time training throughout the country today through Nov. 21. The move comes as tensions between the United States and Venezuela continue to escalate and the United States carried out its 20th announced strike on alleged drug trafficking boats in the region.
In a post from the U.S. embassy, Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Dr. Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said that the exercise is meant to “promote regional stability, counter transnational threats, and enhance disaster response capabilities.” The week of training was first announced by the Trinidadian attorney general who said that the U.S. would “intensify” exercises in the country. The foreign minister later said the joint drills were not a precursor to any military action against Venezuela. On Saturday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — who the United States accuses of being tied to several drug cartels designated foreign terrorist organizations — called the drills “irresponsible.”
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The week of exercises comes as the USS Gerald R. Ford and its carrier strike group officially entered the Caribbean, days after the aircraft carrier arrived in SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility. In response to the deployment of the Ford Carrier Strike Group, Venezuela announced it was mobilizing nearly 200,000 troops in an exercise of its own.
Task & Purpose reached out to SOUTHCOM about the exercise; a spokesperson acknowledged the question but did not immediately provide details on what the training will consist of. According to a statement from Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, the exercises will be held in rural and urban areas, during dusk and at night. Several Marine helicopters will also be used.
The 22nd MEU deployed to the Caribbean with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group in August. Marines from the unit have spent the intervening time training, at sea and at Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico. Some Marines from the expeditionary unit were sent to Jamaica as part of the wider U.S. disaster response after Hurricane Melissa ravaged the country last month.
U.S. forces regularly train in the Caribbean, and have while the large naval presence — since dubbed Joint Task Force – Southern Spear by the Pentagon — amassed. In August, Air Force special operations commandos drilled in the region, practicing airfield seizures and other raiding tactics.
Trinidad and Tobago is close to Venezuela’s northeastern coast. In late October the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely docked at the capital city the Port of Spain in the country for several days.
As U.S. attacks on small boats in the Caribbean increased over the fall, bodies began washing up on the shores of the island nation. The New York Times reported that the corpses were missing limbs and had burn marks, suggesting they were killed in explosions.
