A US warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The USS Gravely, whose upcoming arrival was announced Thursday by the Trinidadian government, docked in the capital, Port of Spain.

It is set to remain in the small Caribbean nation until Thursday, during which time a contingent of US Marines will conduct joint training with local defense forces.

The exercises are part of a mounting military campaign by US President Donald Trump against drug-trafficking organizations in Latin America, which has targeted Trump's arch-foe Maduro in particular.

US forces have blown up at least 10 boats they claimed were smuggling narcotics, killing at least 43 p

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