Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday (November 15, 2025) slammed new joint military exercises by the United States and its ally Trinidad and Tobago as “irresponsible,” with Washington increasing its armed presence in the Caribbean.

Caracas claims recent U.S. military activity in the region — which Washington says is directed against drug gangs — is really a ploy to overthrow leftist leader Maduro.

This is the second joint training exercise carried out by the United States and Trinidad and Tobago in less than a month.

In October, a U.S. guided missile destroyer docked at Trinidad for four days for another round of practice drills — within firing range of Venezuela, whose government called it a “provocation.”

“The government of Trinidad and Tobago has once again announced irresponsible exercises, lending its waters off the coast of Sucre state for military exercises that are intended to be threatening to a republic like Venezuela, which does not allow itself to be threatened by anyone,” Mr. Maduro said during an event in Caracas on Saturday.

Mr. Maduro called on his supporters in the eastern states of the country to hold “a vigil and a permanent march in the streets” during the military maneuvers, scheduled for November 16-21.

The United States has deployed warships, fighter jets and thousands of soldiers to Latin America in recent weeks and launched strikes on 21 alleged drug-smuggling boats, killing at least 80 people.

No evidence provided by Washington

Washington has provided no evidence those targeted were traffickers, and rights observer groups say the strikes are illegal regardless.

On Tuesday, a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group also arrived in the region, prompting Caracas to announce a “massive” retaliatory deployment.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced a military operation aimed at “narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere,” but it was unclear how it might differ from the existing U.S. military deployment.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded on Thursday against a “crazy war” as an escalating U.S. military campaign sent tensions soaring.

Mr. Maduro’s comment came after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had authorized covert action against the South American nation amid a military campaign targeting what Washington says are drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.

“Yes peace, yes peace forever, peace forever. No crazy war, please!” Mr. Maduro said in English in a meeting with unions aligned with the leftist leader.

The United States has deployed stealth warplanes and navy ships as part of what it calls anti-narcotics efforts, but has yet to release evidence that its targets — eight boats and a semi-submersible — were smuggling drugs.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr. Trump again denied that he had sent B-1B bombers to Venezuela, but said “we’re not happy with them. They’ve emptied their prisons into our country.”

The President said “we’re not going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war” from Congress, which has the constitutional power to do so.

“We’re just going to kill people who come into our country.”

The U.S. strikes, which began on September 2, have killed at least 37 people, according to an AFP tally based on U.S. figures.

Regional tensions have flared as a result of the campaign, with Mr. Maduro accusing Washington of seeking regime change.

Late on Thursday, the government in Trinidad and Tobago — located just off Venezuela’s coast — announced that a U.S. warship would dock in its capital from October 26-30.

The Trinidadian Foreign Ministry said a unit of U.S. Marines would conduct joint exercises with its defense forces.

Two of those killed in the U.S. strikes were from Trinidad and Tobago.

Last week, Mr. Trump said he had authorized covert CIA action against Venezuela and was considering strikes against alleged drug cartels on land.

The Republican billionaire president accuses Mr. Maduro of heading a drug cartel, a charge the Venezuelan leader denies.

“We know the CIA is present” in Venezuela, the country’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Thursday.

“They may deploy — I don’t know how many — CIA-affiliated units in covert operations… and any attempt will fail.”

Mr. Padrino was overseeing military exercises along Venezuela’s coast in response to the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean.

Experts have questioned the legality of using lethal force in foreign or international waters against suspects who have not been intercepted or questioned.