Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has ignited a political firestorm by asserting that Trinidad and Tobago’s escalating crime crisis is primarily driven by Venezuelan criminal networks evading international sanctions. The declaration came through her official X account, where she simultaneously defended the controversial installation of advanced US military radar technology at ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago.
Persad-Bissessar articulated that the newly deployed radar system—identified by defense analysts as an AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR—serves dual purposes: enhancing national surveillance capabilities and targeting Venezuelan crude oil sanctions-busting operations. According to her statements, these illicit activities facilitate deliveries of narcotics, firearms, ammunition, and undocumented migrants from Venezuela into Trinidadian territory.
The Prime Minister directed sharp criticism toward the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), accusing previous administrations of permitting ‘local drug mafia’ operations to flourish unchecked. She alleged systematic negligence regarding illegal trafficking and even hinted at deeper institutional corruption within opposition ranks.
This geopolitical development occurs against a backdrop of intensified US military presence in the Caribbean region, including approximately 15,000 troops, multiple warships, and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. The military buildup coincides with heightened US pressure on Venezuela, following President Donald Trump’s designation of Cartel de los Soles as a narco-terrorist organization with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro allegedly at its helm.
Persad-Bissessar revealed she personally requested the radar installation through US diplomatic channels, initially describing the US military presence as roadway construction support before acknowledging the radar’s deployment. She maintains the technology provides previously unavailable protection layers while denying Trinidad would serve as a launch platform for attacks against Venezuela.
The opposition has demanded transparency regarding the military equipment, prompting the Prime Minister to challenge PNM to explain why previous radar systems failed to detect ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned Venezuelan oil within Trinidadian waters—allegedly with Trinidad as the point of origin.
This escalating political confrontation highlights deepening regional tensions and the complex intersection of national security, international relations, and transnational crime in the Caribbean basin.