Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – October 28, 2025 – In a dramatic escalation of regional tensions, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced on Monday the immediate suspension of all energy cooperation agreements with neighboring Trinidad and Tobago, accusing the Caribbean island nation of transforming itself into a "platform for U.S. aggression" by hosting an American warship. The move, which halts joint natural gas exploration projects valued at billions, comes just days after the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gravely docked in Trinidad's capital, Port of Spain, for joint military exercises. Maduro's decision underscores the deepening geopolitical rift in the Caribbean, where U.S. anti-drug operations have intertwined with broader efforts to isolate his government.
The announcement was made during Maduro's weekly television address on state broadcaster Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), where he framed the suspension as a necessary defensive measure against what he described as "imperialist encirclement." "Trinidad and Tobago has become the aircraft carrier of the U.S. empire against Venezuela," Maduro declared, pointing to the arrival of the USS Gravely on Sunday, October 26. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, carrying approximately 2,300 U.S. Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, is scheduled to remain in port until Thursday, October 30, for training focused on counter-narcotics tactics, maritime security, and humanitarian response. U.S. Embassy officials in Port of Spain emphasized that the visit exemplifies "longstanding cooperation" between Washington and Trinidad to combat transnational crime, including drug trafficking routes that Venezuelan officials claim are being exaggerated as pretexts for intervention.
The USS Gravely's deployment is part of a broader U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean under the Trump administration, which has intensified since September. This includes the deployment of eight warships, a submarine, drones, and fighter jets, culminating in Friday's announcement of the USS Gerald R. Ford – the world's largest aircraft carrier – heading toward Venezuelan waters. Since early fall, U.S. forces have conducted at least 10 strikes on suspected drug-smuggling speedboats originating from Venezuelan coasts, resulting in over 43 deaths. Caracas has vehemently denounced these actions as "piratical attacks" that violate international law and sovereignty, with Foreign Minister Yván Gil accusing the U.S. of using narcotics interdiction as a cover for regime-change operations. In a separate claim aired on Monday, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello alleged that authorities had foiled a CIA-financed "false-flag" plot by mercenaries to attack the USS Gravely and blame Caracas, potentially justifying a full-scale U.S. invasion. No independent verification of the plot has emerged, but it has fueled conspiracy narratives in Venezuelan state media.
At the heart of the energy fallout is a 2015 Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation, signed during a period of warmer bilateral ties under Trinidad's then-Prime Minister Keith Rowley. The pact enabled joint development of offshore natural gas fields straddling the maritime border, separated by a mere 7 miles (11 kilometers) at its narrowest point in the Gulf of Paria (also known as the Dragon's Mouth). Key initiatives include the Dragon Gas Field – estimated to hold 4.2 trillion cubic feet of reserves – where Trinidad's National Gas Company (NGC), Shell plc, and Venezuela's state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) were advancing a 30-year production-sharing deal. First output was projected for 2027, with Phase I capacity at 150 million cubic feet per day, expandable to 350 million, via a $100 million subsea pipeline linking to Shell's Hibiscus platform in Trinidadian waters.
The Dragon project, formalized in a December 2023 heads-of-agreement amid U.S. sanctions relief, represented a rare bright spot for Venezuela's beleaguered energy sector. Plagued by sanctions since 2019, PDVSA's output has plummeted from 3 million barrels per day in 2013 to under 800,000 today, exacerbating hyperinflation and mass emigration. For Trinidad and Tobago, the venture was critical to offsetting declining domestic reserves – now at just 10 years' supply – that threaten its LNG exports and petrochemical industries, which account for 92.6% of energy needs. Other suspended pacts include the 2019 Loran-Manatee Agreement for independent development of a cross-border field holding up to 1 trillion cubic feet, and the August 2024 Cocuina-Manakin deal for further exploration. U.S. Treasury licenses, valid through 2026, had greenlit these despite sanctions, but Venezuelan officials now warn that Trinidad must pay market rates for any future gas, voiding preferential terms.
Vice President and Hydrocarbons Minister Delcy Rodríguez laid the groundwork for Maduro's order earlier Monday, convening PDVSA's board to recommend denunciation of the 2015 accord, which auto-renewed for five years in February. "The leadership of Trinidad has joined the warmongering agenda of the United States," Rodríguez stated on national TV, petitioning Maduro to revoke licenses for Dragon and impose structural countermeasures. Maduro complied swiftly, instructing Congress and the Supreme Court to review additional recommendations, potentially including full revocation of exploration rights. The suspension halts all joint ventures, injecting uncertainty into a sector already strained by U.S. policy shifts – from Biden-era carve-outs to Trump's hawkish rhetoric accusing Maduro of cartel ties.
Trinidad and Tobago's response has been measured but defiant. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who assumed office in September 2025 after ousting Rowley's People's National Movement in a snap election, dismissed the fallout in text messages to the Associated Press. "We are not concerned," she wrote, asserting that Trinidad's economic future "does not depend on Venezuela and never has." Her administration has pivoted toward diversified energy plans, including non-Venezuelan LNG imports and renewables, while emphasizing the USS Gravely exercises as "internal security" matters unrelated to Caracas. Persad-Bissessar, a vocal Maduro critic who has supported U.S. strikes, cited rising violent crime – including 500 murders annually – as justification for enhanced military ties with Washington. A senior Trinidadian military official confirmed the Gravely visit was scheduled "only recently," aligning with Caricom's calls for de-escalation, though the bloc's unity is strained by members' divergent U.S. alignments.
Analysts warn of ripple effects across the Caribbean energy landscape. The suspension could delay regional integration efforts, such as shared infrastructure to reduce reliance on Russian or Middle Eastern imports, amid global LNG shortages exacerbated by the Ukraine war. For Venezuela, it risks further isolating PDVSA from markets, though Maduro touted alternative partnerships with Iran and China during his address. Trinidad faces short-term gas squeezes for its Atlantic LNG facility, the world's second-largest, potentially hiking costs for industries employing 20,000. Environmentally, stalled projects like Dragon – criticized by the International Energy Agency for clashing with Paris Agreement goals – might inadvertently curb new fossil fuel extraction, but at the expense of energy security.
Broader U.S.-Venezuela frictions trace to Maduro's disputed 2024 reelection, marred by opposition claims of fraud and international condemnation. Trump's return has amplified "maximum pressure," with sanctions targeting PDVSA executives and threats of land strikes, as floated by Sen. Lindsey Graham on CBS. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, sanctioned Friday for alleged drug tolerance, has decried the naval presence as "gunboat diplomacy," urging Latin American solidarity. As the USS Gerald R. Ford nears, fears of miscalculation loom, with Caricom mediating fragile talks.
Maduro's gambit may rally domestic support amid economic woes – inflation at 150%, GDP shrunk 8% yearly – but risks alienating pragmatic neighbors. Trinidad's pivot under Persad-Bissessar signals a post-Rowley era prioritizing U.S. alliances over energy interdependence. For now, the Dragon Field slumbers, a symbol of how superpower shadows eclipse Caribbean aspirations. Regional diplomats eye Thursday's Gravely departure warily, hoping it ushers dialogue over rupture.
