The Prime Minister says there is no need for hysteria relative to the pending arrival on Sunday of a US Navy war ship and a unit of US Marines.
This, as the US has conducted a 10th lethal military strike on a boat the US says was being used by narco-terrorists in the region, the first such strike at night.
00:00On Friday, the U.S. War Secretary announced that overnight, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Trendy Aragua, a designated terrorist organization trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea.
00:18War Secretary Pete Hetsedge said the vessel was known by U.S. intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.
00:31The U.S. War Secretary noted, quote, six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters, and was the first strike at night, end quote.
00:42This 10th lethal U.S. military strike on a suspected drug boat has occurred at the time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela.
00:53And the Prime Minister sought to dispel any concerns about the visit of the United States-Alai Burke-class guided missile destroyer U.S. Gravely DDG-107 and the 22nd U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit to Trinidad and Tobago beginning on Sunday, October 26th.
01:10Prime Minister Kamala Pesad-Basasa said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, quote,
01:17No need for hysteria. The U.S. Navy will be here to assist with training and upgrading some of our facilities and technologies.
01:27This will help us in the fight against drug trafficking and violent crime.
01:31They will also demonstrate some new capabilities to protect our borders, end quote.
01:36The Prime Minister's statement followed the announcement by the Ministry of Foreign and Carcom Affairs on Thursday night that the USS Gravely will visit Trinidad and Tobago from October 26th to 30th, mooring in Port of Spain,
01:50while the 22nd U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit will conduct joint training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force during the same period.
01:58The Foreign Affairs Ministry noted that the U.S. military service's presence in Trinidad and Tobago highlights the U.S. commitment to regional security and cooperative efforts in the Caribbean.
02:09During a media conference at the White House on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump referred a question about the U.S. Roosevelt Road's Naval Station located in Puerto Rico to the U.S. War Secretary.
02:21With everything that's going on between the narco-terrorists and the Caribbean and then also with more Chinese, Iranian, Russian ships also taking part in Venezuela,
02:34do you have any plans of expanding operations out of Roosevelt Road's and, in fact, placing some homeporting some ships there?
02:43Yeah.
02:43We're familiar with the location that you're referring to, and we will make sure that we're properly displaced in order to deal with the contingency we're dealing with there
02:54and also any ways in which other countries would attempt to be involved also.
02:58A post on the Facebook page of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces South dated October 21st showed a photo of a U.S. Marine with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit
03:10engaging targets during low-light close-quarters battle training at Camp Santiago as, quote,
03:17U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of U.S. Southern Command, Southcom missions,
03:24U.S. Department of War-directed operations, and presidential priorities to disrupt illicit trafficking and protect the homeland, end quote.
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