The Trinidad and Tobago government has issued a stern condemnation of unauthorized drone operations near critical national infrastructure, escalating tensions over perceived surveillance of U.S. military assets. The Ministry of Defence expressed grave concern regarding drone activity within restricted airspace surrounding Piarco International Airport and ANR Robinson International Airport, explicitly linking these incursions to attempts to photograph American military installations.
Official investigations have confirmed that drones penetrated the mandatory five-kilometer no-fly zones around both airports—directly contradicting claims that operators maintained legal distances. The Ministry emphasized the catastrophic aviation risks posed by such reckless operations, warning that drone-aircraft collisions could potentially cause mass casualties.
This security alert follows the Trinidad Guardian’s publication of aerial photographs depicting what appeared to be a temporary military compound containing utility vehicles, portable structures, and sanitation facilities within a restricted zone. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar subsequently clarified that the images merely showed “support offices” for a U.S. radar system operational on the island.
The Prime Minister vehemently dismissed characterization of the site as a military base while simultaneously accusing opposition parties and media outlets of obsessively seeking the removal of American assets. She asserted that only drug traffickers would benefit from diminished surveillance capabilities, explicitly connecting border security to narcotics interdiction efforts.
In a striking rhetorical shift, Persad-Bissessar adopted the term “narco trafficker” when referencing Venezuela’s administration—aligning with U.S. allegations against President Nicolás Maduro while denying involvement in any regime change initiatives. The government maintains that U.S. presence relates exclusively to radar infrastructure and airport roadway projects, not military operations targeting neighboring Venezuela.