Venezuela announced this Monday, October 27, that it had dismantled a “criminal cell” linked to the CIA, after a recent operation designed, according to Caracas, to “justify the aggression” of the United States, whose military presence in the region continues with new bomber flights.
This “cell” would have sought to attack the US ship USS Gravely docked in Trinidad and Tobago to carry out military exercises with the aim of incriminating Caracas, stated Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, at a time when the Trump administration is at odds with the power of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Yvan Gil stated in a statement that he had informed Trinidad and Tobago of a “false flag operation”, a day after Venezuela announced the arrest of “a group of mercenaries” linked to the US intelligence agency. Caracas considers that the presence of the USS Gravely is a “provocation” that could lead to “war.”
“A criminal cell financed by the CIA and linked to this clandestine operation is being dismantled in our territory,” said Yvan Gil, assuring that the cell wanted to “accus Venezuela, to justify aggression against our country.” Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello later clarified during a press conference that at least four people had been detained.
US President Donald Trump has approved CIA covert operations in Venezuela and is exploring ground attacks, in operations billed as a campaign to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean.
In this context, two B-1B bombers flew over the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela on Monday, according to the specialized site Flightradar24. This is the third such show of force by the US military in recent weeks.
Tensions between Carcas and Washington
It comes after a similar flight by at least one B-1B last week and another by several B-52 bombers the week before. Since the beginning of September, the United States has been carrying out air attacks, mainly in Caribbean waters, against vessels presented as belonging to drug traffickers described as “terrorists.”
So far, Washington has claimed responsibility for ten attacks. At least 43 people were killed, according to an AFP count based on US government figures, which provides no evidence of a link between the attacked ships and drug trafficking. Experts widely doubt the legality of the military operations carried out by the Trump administration.
Washington has deployed seven warships in the Caribbean and one in the Gulf of Mexico, officially as part of an operation against drug trafficking, aimed particularly at Venezuela and its president Nicolás Maduro.
President Trump also announced the upcoming arrival of the world’s largest aircraft carrier. The USS Gravely arrived in Port of Spain on Sunday and will remain there until October 30 to conduct joint exercises with Trinidadian forces.
“War for oil”
In response, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, also Minister of Hydrocarbons, announced on Monday that she had recommended the suspension of gas agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, accusing the Prime Minister of the small English-speaking archipelago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, of “bowing to the aggressive agenda of the United States” and “transforming the territory of this brother country into an aircraft carrier.” United States”.
“It’s a war for oil and gas,” he said.
The Prime Minister of Trinidad immediately reacted to AFP by telephone message, assuring that her country will not give in to “any blackmail from Venezuelans” and will not abandon “the fight against the drug cartels (…) Our future does not depend on Venezuela and has never depended on it.”
Despite the oil embargo against Venezuela, the United States gave the green light to Trinidad and Tobago in early October for the exploitation of the important Dragon gas field, estimated at 120 billion cubic meters, located in northeastern Venezuelan waters, near the maritime border with Trinidad and Tobago and Trinidadian fields.
Nicolás Maduro, who rejects accusations of drug trafficking, criticized the United States on Friday for “inventing an eternal war.” “They promised never to go to war again and they are inventing a war that we are going to avoid,” he denounced.
Source: BFM TV
