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Trinidad and Tobago Confirms U.S. Radar on Tobago to Curb Drug, Oil and Arms Trafficking

02:33 AM, 12/05/2025
Trinidad and Tobago Confirms U.S. Radar on Tobago to Curb Drug, Oil and Arms Trafficking

Trinidad and Tobago has confirmed a U.S. radar installation at A.N.R. Robinson International Airport in Tobago to monitor sanctioned Venezuelan oil, drug shipments, weapons trafficking and irregular migration. The prime minister said the system replaces an unreliable, compromised radar and that U.S. support is temporary and for surveillance only. The move has prompted opposition demands for transparency and criticism from Venezuela amid broader U.S. security activity in the Caribbean.

U.S. Radar Installed in Tobago to Strengthen Maritime Surveillance

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has confirmed that her government authorized the installation of a U.S. radar system at the A.N.R. Robinson International Airport on Tobago to assist in monitoring sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments, drug trafficking, weapons transfers and irregular migration.

The radar sits at a strategically important site on Tobago facing Venezuela’s eastern coast. Persad-Bissessar said the measure responds to growing violent crime linked to a local drug-trafficking network and Venezuelan criminal collaborators who seek to evade sanctions.

“When we took office, we found a radar system that operated sporadically and inefficiently and did not cover our entire territory. Our Coast Guard could not even access real-time data, and the system had been compromised,” the prime minister said.

Persad-Bissessar said she requested temporary assistance from the U.S. Embassy while the government secures a permanent replacement for the aging and unreliable system. She emphasized the installation is part of agreed security cooperation and is intended for monitoring and surveillance of Trinidad and Tobago’s territory.

“The radar is solely for monitoring and surveillance of our territory. It will not be used in any action in Venezuela,” she added.

The government’s decision drew criticism and calls for transparency from the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM). Persad-Bissessar accused the PNM of downplaying the illicit trafficking problem and said some opposition queries risk revealing sensitive national security information that could help criminal networks evade surveillance.

Internationally, the move comes as the United States has expanded military presence and access agreements in the Caribbean since September, citing efforts to combat drug trafficking and support regional stability. Venezuela’s government under President Nicolás Maduro criticized the installation, accusing Trinidad and Tobago of enabling attempts at regime change and suspending an energy cooperation project with the country in October.

Tensions intensified in the region after U.S. President Donald Trump said ground attacks against Venezuela would begin "very soon," a remark that further strained an already fraught diplomatic environment.

What Officials Say

Government: The radar is a temporary, surveillance-only capability to replace a compromised system and restore real-time maritime monitoring.
Opposition: Demands greater transparency about the scope and oversight of the U.S. presence.
Venezuela: Condemns the installation and has suspended bilateral energy talks.

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