Venezuela on Sunday condemned military provocation by the United States and neighboring Trinidad and Tobago, accusing the two countries of working together through the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to engineer a full-scale confrontation in the Caribbean.
The provocation, contained in an official statement issued by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, comes as joint military exercises between the U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago are underway in regional waters.
According to the Venezuelan government, the drills are being used as a front for an intelligence-backed operation aimed at destabilizing the Latin American nation.
Rodríguez claimed Venezuelan authorities had captured a group of mercenaries allegedly carrying information that links them directly to the CIA.
The group, the statement said, was planning to stage a false flag attack, an operation designed to make it appear that another party is responsible, in or near waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago.
“A false flag attack is underway in waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago or from Trinidadian or Venezuelan territory to generate a full military confrontation with our country,” the statement read.
The Vice President did not provide further details or evidence to substantiate the accusations but insisted that Venezuela would not be drawn into a manufactured military provocation.
The statement reflects the Maduro administration’s growing suspicion of U.S. military activities in the region, particularly following reports of expanded American operations across the Caribbean.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, reigniting long-standing tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Venezuela’s leadership has repeatedly accused the U.S. of backing plots to overthrow the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro himself has previously made similar allegations, including claims of false flag plots targeting Venezuelan and American installations.
In early October, he alleged a plan to plant explosives inside the U.S. embassy in Caracas, a claim that was not independently verified.
The Venezuelan government maintains that the current situation is part of a larger U.S. strategy to justify greater military intervention in Latin America, especially in regions rich in oil and other strategic resources.
Meanwhile, neither the US State Department nor the CIA has responded to the latest accusations.
Officials from Trinidad and Tobago have also not issued a statement regarding Venezuela’s claims.
The United States has recently intensified its military presence in the Caribbean, citing anti-drug trafficking operations.
The Pentagon, on Friday, deployed the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier group to the region, a move Venezuela interprets as a direct escalation of U.S. military posture near its borders.
The joint exercises between the U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago are said to focus on maritime security and regional defense cooperation.
However, Venezuela argues that these activities, when combined with recent intelligence reports and arrests, indicate a deliberate attempt to provoke confrontation and justify external aggression.
Political analysts in Caracas, while often divided over the government’s rhetoric, have long noted that accusations of external plots serve as a rallying point for Venezuela’s leadership amid domestic and international pressure.
In her closing remarks, Rodríguez urged the international community to condemn an imperialist provocation designed to destabilize regional peace.
She reaffirmed Venezuela’s commitment to defending its sovereignty while calling for diplomatic engagement to prevent any escalation.
As tensions rise in the Caribbean, the situation adds a new layer of uncertainty to U.S.-Venezuelan relations already strained by sanctions, political disputes, and competing geopolitical interests in the hemisphere.
