On Saturday, October 18, 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago issued a rare and urgent warning to American citizens: stay away from all U.S. government facilities on the islands through the upcoming holiday weekend. The advisory, which comes at a time of heightened regional tension, specifically urged Americans to “avoid and refrain from visiting all U.S. government facilities through the holiday weekend” and to “be aware of your surroundings.” The warning was timed just before Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which is widely celebrated across Trinidad and Tobago and falls on Monday, October 20 this year. With about 35% of the nation’s 1.4 million people identifying as East Indian, Diwali is a major national event, making the embassy’s alert even more conspicuous.
While the embassy did not provide a detailed explanation for the warning, officials pointed to a “heightened state of alert” and threats directed at American citizens in the Caribbean nation. According to Trinidad and Tobago’s minister of homeland security, Roger Alexander, U.S. authorities indicated the threats “could be linked” to ongoing tensions in the region, particularly those involving Venezuela and recent deadly U.S. military actions in Caribbean waters (as reported by the Associated Press).
Since early September, the United States has conducted six military strikes in Caribbean waters, targeting vessels suspected of drug trafficking. These strikes have resulted in at least 29 deaths, with the most recent attack on Tuesday, October 14, believed to have killed two local fishermen from Trinidad and Tobago. The U.S. government took survivors from this latest strike into custody, following what officials described as a military operation against a suspected drug-carrying vessel. The Trump administration has maintained that alleged drug traffickers are to be treated as “unlawful combatants who must be met with military force,” a stance that has drawn both support and criticism across the region (AP, Truth Social statements).
President Trump, addressing the situation in a post on Truth Social, declared, “Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea.” He added that survivors from the strikes—some from Ecuador and Colombia—would be repatriated for “detention and prosecution.” The most recent attack, according to Trump, involved a submarine carrying mostly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics.
Trinidad and Tobago, situated just seven miles from Venezuela’s coast, has found itself at the center of these escalating tensions. The proximity to Venezuela, combined with the recent deaths of local fishermen, has left many in coastal communities mourning and anxious. Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago have responded by implementing heightened security measures to address potential threats, though they have declined to disclose specific details about the intelligence or the nature of the threats. Minister Alexander emphasized that the alert was based on credible threats, possibly tied to the broader regional instability (AP).
The U.S. embassy’s advisory is especially notable for its specificity and timing. Security experts in Trinidad and Tobago have pointed out that no similar alerts have been issued for neighboring countries, suggesting that the warning is based on targeted intelligence. “Such alerts are usually targeted toward where governments deem the threat may be,” one security expert told the local press, underlining the seriousness with which both the U.S. and Trinidadian authorities are treating the situation.
Adding to the uncertainty, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago, a vocal supporter of the Trump administration’s anti-narcotrafficking actions, was notably absent from a parliamentary debate on Friday, October 17, just days after the deadly drone strike that reportedly killed two Trinidadians. Her silence and absence have fueled speculation about the government’s internal deliberations and the possibility of further U.S. escalations in the region. The recent resignation of the head of the U.S. Southern Command, the military body responsible for operations in the Caribbean, has only added to the speculation about shifting strategies or increased military activity.
The regional response has been far from unified. On Saturday, the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) broke its silence on the U.S. strikes. In a statement endorsed by all member states except Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the Caribbean as a “Zone of Peace” and called for dialogue and engagement toward the peaceful resolution of disputes. The statement underscored the region’s opposition to narcotrafficking and the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, issues that have long plagued the Caribbean. “Efforts to overcome these challenges should be through ongoing international cooperation and within international law,” the statement read. CARICOM leaders also voiced their “unequivocal support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the Region and the safety and livelihoods of the people of the Region.”
Yet, the absence of Trinidad and Tobago’s endorsement of the CARICOM statement has not gone unnoticed. Some former prime ministers and opposition leaders in the region have pressured the bloc to take a stronger stance, reflecting the divisions and anxieties that the U.S. military actions have stirred. For many in Trinidad and Tobago, the government’s muted response and the embassy’s warning have only deepened concerns about national security and the country’s role in the unfolding regional drama.
The broader context for these developments is the Trump administration’s aggressive policy toward drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Latin America. The administration has repeatedly argued that military force is necessary to disrupt the operations of narcotraffickers, whom it labels as “unlawful combatants.” Critics, however, warn that such actions risk collateral damage, undermine regional stability, and could entangle local communities in international conflicts. The deaths of the two Trinidadian fishermen have brought these concerns home for many on the islands, fueling debate over the costs and consequences of the U.S. approach.
For now, Americans in Trinidad and Tobago are being urged to remain vigilant and avoid U.S. government facilities, at least through the Diwali holiday. Local authorities have promised to maintain heightened security and to respond swiftly to any incidents that may arise. As the region waits to see whether the U.S. will escalate its operations or seek a diplomatic path forward, the people of Trinidad and Tobago—and the wider Caribbean—are left balancing hope for peace with the realities of a tense and uncertain moment.
Against the backdrop of celebrations for Diwali, the festival of lights, the shadow of regional conflict and international intrigue looms large over Trinidad and Tobago this year.
