As the sun sets over the sleepy fishing villages of Trinidad & Tobago, a sense of unease hangs in the salty air. For generations, men like Kenrick Modie have cast their nets into the Caribbean’s turquoise waters, providing for families and fueling a multimillion-dollar industry that supports thousands across the twin-island nation. Yet, in October 2025, Modie and his fellow fishermen find themselves caught in the crossfire of a rapidly escalating geopolitical showdown—one that threatens not just their livelihoods, but their very lives.
Trinidad & Tobago sits just 11 miles from the Venezuelan coast, a proximity that has always shaped its fortunes but now exposes it to new dangers. The United States, under President Donald Trump, has dramatically ramped up its military presence in the Caribbean, launching a series of strikes against what it calls "narco-terrorist" vessels operating near Venezuelan waters. According to a memo obtained by the Associated Press, President Trump declared the U.S. to be in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels in the region, accusing them of attempting to bring "deadly poison"—a reference to narcotics—onto American shores.
For fishermen like Modie, the implications are chilling. "What could we do? We’re just a little dot," he told AP, expressing deep anxiety that his fishing boat could be mistaken for a smuggler’s craft and targeted by U.S. forces. "If we die, we die, that’s how this life is." Modie’s fears are not unfounded: since September 2, 2025, the U.S. has carried out four strikes on small boats in the Caribbean, killing a total of 21 people, including 11 in the first operation alone. President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, claimed one intercepted vessel carried "enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000 people."
This hardline approach marks a stark departure from traditional law enforcement tactics. As reported by multiple outlets, the White House sent a memo to Congress in late September, stating that the U.S. is now engaged in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug traffickers, whom it has designated as "unlawful combatants." This wartime paradigm, reminiscent of the post-9/11 War on Terror, allows for lethal force and detention without trial, bypassing criminal justice norms. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly defended the move, asserting, "The President acted in line with the law of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring deadly poison to our shores, and he is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans."
The shift has alarmed legal scholars and regional leaders alike. Georgetown law professor Marty Lederman argued that the administration’s authority to use force without congressional approval is limited to 60 days under the War Powers Resolution, a clock that started ticking with the first strike on September 2. "That’s a far cry from authorizing an ongoing series of strikes," Lederman wrote, cautioning that a protracted campaign would require explicit consent from Congress. National security lawyer Irina Tsukerman echoed these concerns, noting, "He’s saying he doesn’t even need to go to Congress, because he’s essentially taking action against these unlawful combatants, and it’s going to be a long-term operation, just like with the War on Terror."
On the ground in Trinidad & Tobago, the consequences are immediate and deeply personal. Fishermen in the southwestern villages of Icacos and Cedros report that they’ve been forced to stay in shallower waters, fearful of venturing too close to the increasingly militarized maritime border. Kamal Bikeran, unloading his daily catch at the Cedros Fishing Complex, described the atmosphere as tense and unpredictable. "The US has come there, and the Venezuelan military is saying they are more present, so you have to watch out. At any point in time, outside there, you could be taken out." The result? Smaller catches, shrinking incomes, and a growing sense of desperation.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad & Tobago has taken a controversial stance, publicly blaming drug cartels for the nation’s suffering and offering to grant the U.S. access to Trinidadian territory if needed to defend neighboring Guyana from Venezuela’s territorial claims. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, for his part, has called this offer tantamount to a declaration of war. In response to the U.S. buildup, Maduro placed Venezuela’s military and civilian militias on high alert and, according to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, signed a decree granting himself "special powers" to act if the U.S. "dares to attack our homeland."
The regional ripple effects are profound. At the United Nations General Assembly in late September, Caribbean leaders pleaded for dialogue and de-escalation. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley described the region as a "zone of peace" and called for renewed diplomacy to prevent open conflict. St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves warned that the foreign militarization of waters near Venezuela was "exceedingly troubling."
Geopolitical analysts see the U.S. campaign as part of a broader strategy. Pedro Garmendia, a former representative of Venezuela’s opposition at the Organization of American States, told reporters, "For years, the regime in Venezuela has used its ties to drug trafficking organizations and international terror groups like Hezbollah to prop itself up and destabilize its rivals. This is best understood as an extension of the Bush Doctrine. It lets Trump take control of the Caribbean, a major drug route, while also sending messages to Iran, China and Russia—all of whom have a footprint in Venezuela." Garmendia went further, arguing that the administration’s approach signals its view that Maduro’s government is "not a legitimate government, but a 'zombie behemoth' sustained by foreign sponsors and criminal enterprises."
Meanwhile, U.S. domestic politics are simmering. Democratic leaders in Congress have questioned the scope and legality of the strikes but have so far refrained from taking steps to block the operations. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, for instance, accused Trump’s advisors of "trying to goad Venezuela into a war no one wants." With the 60-day war powers window set to expire in early November, a showdown between the White House and Congress may be looming.
Back in Cedros, veteran fisherman Shyam Hajarie summed up the prevailing mood: "Just praying that everything works out with this situation with Venezuela and the US. That they make peace and not war." For now, Trinidad & Tobago’s fishermen remain on edge, forced to navigate not only the unpredictable tides of the Caribbean Sea but also the dangerous currents of international power politics.