Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, resoundingly approves a recent – and unprecedented – U.S. military strike. The operation successively struck two RHIBs, one of which was supposedly carrying illicit narcotics in the southern Caribbean. U.S. President Donald Trump announced a joint strike against a Tren de Aragua-operated vessel. Such was life for these members of a notorious Venezuelan gang that had recently fled Venezuela. This unnecessarily aggressive operation led to the deaths of 11 people on that boat.
Late Tuesday, Persad-Bissessar, the main opposition leader, issued a statement commending the U.S. move. She explained that drug traffickers are a greater enemy to her nation than ISIS. She noted that Trinidad and Tobago has suffered greatly from violence and addiction resulting from cartel operations.
Our country has been decimated by bloody violence and addiction due to the greed of the cartels, Persad-Bissessar stated. She further condemned the actions of drug traffickers, saying, “The slaughter of our people is fueled by evil cartel traffickers.”
President Trump stated that the U.S. armed forces carried out the strike while in international waters. He underscored that the vessel that was targeted had ties to established drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean corridor. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the cargo likely intended to Trinidad. He told Bloomberg that other Caribbean destinations could be added to its route.
The U.S. is increasing its maritime forces in the waters surrounding Venezuela. This move follows President Trump’s recent, critical decision to declare the growing threat from Latin American drug cartels. This multilateral effort candidly addresses the challenges of drug trafficking and related violence across the entire region to effectively stop drug cartels.
At the time, Trinidad PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar staunchly supported the U.S. actions. The other Caribbean leaders have mostly shown greater restraint. Kerrie Symmonds, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Barbados, emphasized the importance of diplomatic communication between nations to avoid misunderstandings and maintain regional stability.
“What effectively we are trying to do is to work through the diplomatic channels of making sure that there are no surprises and practices,” Symmonds noted, stressing the need for notification of actions that could impact the region.
He continued, “This will help us avoid misunderstandings, and we can maintain and strengthen our mutual confidence with each other.”
