By New York Carib News
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago — Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has clarified that U.S. Marines are indeed present in Tobago, retracting earlier statements that no American military personnel were currently in the country.
Speaking to reporters, Persad-Bissessar confirmed that Marines are stationed at the A.N.R. Robinson International Airport, where they are assisting with upgrades to the radar system, runway, and access roads.
“They are helping us improve surveillance and strengthen radar intelligence to counter narco-trafficking in and around our waters,” she said, while offering no additional details on the scope of the work.
Senior national security officials — including the attorney general and the ministers of defense and national security — did not respond to requests for comment.
It remains unclear whether the U.S. is installing a new radar system or enhancing the existing one, and whether Washington intends to utilize the technology directly for its expanding regional operations.
The confirmation follows Wednesday’s meeting between Persad-Bissessar and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and President Donald Trump’s top military adviser. After the meeting, the prime minister insisted Trinidad and Tobago had not been asked to serve as a base for any potential U.S. action against Venezuela and said the issue was not raised in recent discussions.
Local officials previously acknowledged that at least one U.S. military aircraft landed in Tobago for refueling, though the purpose of that visit remains largely undisclosed.
Earlier this year, the U.S. approached Grenada seeking permission to install a temporary radar system at its main airport. Grenadian officials have not stated whether approval was granted. Both Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago sit near Venezuela — positioning them strategically amid a U.S. military buildup observers say is aimed at pressuring President Nicolás Maduro.
This week, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader announced that Washington would receive temporary access to restricted areas at an air base and the country’s main international airport to support U.S. counter-drug operations, making the announcement alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The United States has conducted intensified strikes in the Caribbean since early September, killing at least 83 people in operations targeting drug-trafficking boats and networks.
