A new US-installed radar in Trinidad and Tobago will monitor Venezuelan oil and drug trafficking, says PM, amid regional tensions
PORT OF SPAIN: A new radar system installed by the United States in Trinidad and Tobago is intended to monitor Venezuelan oil shipments and drug trafficking.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar confirmed the installation’s purpose in a statement on Wednesday.
She said the radar will assist in detecting “Venezuelan crude oil sanction-busting activities and traffickers.”
The equipment enhances surveillance capabilities and adds a superior layer of protection previously unavailable, she added.
The radar was installed at a new airport, with the PM first confirming the US plan on November 27.
Trinidad and Tobago, located just miles off Venezuela’s coast, has seen increased US military cooperation in recent months.
Caracas has condemned recent US military exercises in the Caribbean as a provocation.
Venezuela accuses Washington of building up military assets to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.
Persad-Bissessar, a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, has denied allegations her country’s territory would be used to attack Venezuela.
The US has maintained sanctions on Venezuelan oil, first imposed by Trump in 2019.
Since August, the US has deployed a fleet of warships to the Caribbean, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
It has carried out strikes on at least 22 vessels under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, killing at least 83 people.
International experts say the strikes are likely illegal and could amount to extrajudicial killings. – AFP
