General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and a key military advisor to President Donald Trump, arrived in Trinidad and Tobago (TT) on November 26 for a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The meeting, held at the Diplomatic Centre in St. Ann’s, focused on reinforcing the strong bilateral relationship between the two nations, enhancing regional stability, and addressing the critical issue of drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations. The US Embassy, in a statement issued on November 24, emphasized the shared commitment of both countries to these objectives. General Caine’s visit follows recent military exercises conducted by the US 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in TT, which included two deployments in October and November. These exercises are part of a broader US-led anti-drug trafficking operation in the Southern Caribbean, supported by the TT government. However, the presence of US warships in the region has drawn criticism from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who accused the US of pursuing regime change and TT of enabling such efforts. Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar has firmly denied these allegations, stating that the operations are solely aimed at combating drug trafficking.