US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls reports of imminent attack false.
247 - The Armed Forces of Trinidad and Tobago have been placed on high alert, and all military personnel and Coast Guard officers have been ordered to return to their bases by Friday night, the Trinidad Express newspaper reported, citing a document received by the country's military personnel.
"This is not an exercise," the document stated.
According to the Trinidad Express, high-ranking Armed Forces officials held a meeting on Friday morning, after which Alert Level One, the highest level of operational readiness, was declared. Soldiers were instructed to return to their bases by 6 p.m. local time (10 p.m. GMT), while a general meeting was scheduled for 10:30 p.m. GMT. Military personnel on leave or undergoing medical treatment should remain in their official residences and stay ready for any orders, the newspaper added.
High-ranking military sources stated that the preventative measure aims to leave the defense forces prepared to respond to any possible regional or national unrest.
Earlier, Newsweek reported that the assault ship USS Iwo Jima and its support vessels had been located about 200 kilometers from the Venezuelan island of La Orchila, which would place them within range for possible military operations.
The Miami Herald, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the United States could launch airstrikes against targets in Venezuela in the coming hours or days. However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the report as false.
In September and October, the United States conducted several military operations to destroy vessels allegedly transporting drugs off the coast of Venezuela.
On August 19, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that US President Donald Trump was prepared to use “all elements of American power” to combat drug trafficking, including a possible military operation in Venezuela. The statement followed reports that Washington was mobilizing more than 4,000 marines and sailors to the waters of Latin America and the Caribbean with the alleged objective of combating drug cartels. (With information from Sputnik).
