US SOUTHCOM AND TTDF TO ENGAGE IN TRAINING

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More training is set to take place in the coming days with the United States Southern Command and the T&T Defence Force.  Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Sean Sobers is seeking to despel any notion that it is linked to tensions between the US and Venezuela.  Alicia Boucher has the details.

Transcript

00:00Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Sean Sober, says from November 16th to the 21st,

00:06members of the United States' 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed to the U.S. Southern Command

00:11will engage in training exercises with the TNT Defense Force.

00:15He states that it is part of a further strengthening of military ties between both countries

00:20and will better equip the Defense Force to treat with gun-related and gang violence.

00:24As for what the training entails?

00:26Allowing personnel from both countries to become familiar with each other's equipments,

00:32tactics, and techniques, the exercise will challenge the participants,

00:37offering them opportunities to expand their expertise and professional development.

00:42Training will take place across Trinidad and Tobago in both urban and rural environments,

00:48with operations scheduled during dusk and after dark,

00:52and several of these exercises will incorporate the 22nd Military Expedition Unit.

00:59According to the minister, it is different from previous training exercises,

01:03and he calls it capacity and foundation building.

01:06Sober says there has been absolutely no indication by the United States

01:10that the training being provided is linked to any action that the U.S. is taking pertaining to Venezuela.

01:15In December of 2024, the then People's National Movement Administration renewed a status of forces agreement with the United States.

01:23The contents of that document and any changes made to previous SOFA agreements have not been made public.

01:29The United National Congress, when it was in opposition,

01:32did call on the then government to make the agreement public.

01:35Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela were rising at a time.

01:39It is a national security document, which I would not be able to get involved in or share the contents of that information.

01:46Okay, Minister, without going into the details of the SOFA agreement,

01:50can Trinidad and Tobago be used as a launching pad by any other military other than Trinidad and Tobago's military

01:59to launch an attack on any other sovereign country with or without the permission of the government of Trinidad and Tobago?

02:07No, in short, the answer to that is no.

02:10A discussion in the local and regional domain for a number of years is that of guns entering the region from America.

02:18Soba says, based on statistics in the hands of the government, guns come through legal and illegal ports of entry.

02:24He adds that those coming through legal ports, some of which are illegally obtained,

02:29tend to come from the U.S. and other territories.

02:31TV6 News sought answers from the minister on where talks are at this time with this country and the U.S.

02:38pertaining to their guns infiltrating TNT and by extension the region in light of their quote-unquote war on drug cartels.

02:45But in terms of the mass amount of illegal firearms that come into Trinidad, they come through illegal ports of entry.

02:54The ammunitions as well, too.

02:56The varying amounts of ammunitions from 0.22 to 9mm to 5.56 to 7.62 grade ammunition to 0.45 ammunition,

03:08which is not supposed to be utilized really, they do come from illegal ports of entry.

03:15And with the greatest respect to all our colleagues that live in South America, that is where those arms and ammunitions come from.

03:23Soba's reiterates sentiments echoed by the government that the U.S. presence in the region is resulting in a reduction in violence

03:31related to drugs and guns, which he says is welcome.

03:34I can't recall the last time that I've heard or seen somebody spraying down a car or going into a neighborhood

03:43and doing a drive-by shooting and killing six people at the same time

03:48or going on a football field where children are playing and killing people indiscriminately

03:53with these weapons that could shoot out 30-something rounds in less than 30 seconds or something like that.

04:01These things are not occurring anymore.

04:03With a 50 million U.S. dollar bounty placed on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

04:08and the U.S. weapons of war which continue to be deployed to the region,

04:12one school of thought is that the U.S. is pushing for regime change in Venezuela.

04:17Asked whether he would support or stand against any war that stems from this,

04:21Minister Soba's refers to it as conjecture.

04:24If it happens, trust that your government will stand with you

04:29and we will make the best possible decision in the interest of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

04:37Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.

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