Venezuela has announced it has disrupted what it describes as a CIA-linked plot targeting a U.S. warship stationed in Trinidad. The Venezuelan government claims that the U.S. intended to blame Venezuela for an attack on the USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer, as a pretext for military action against the country.

This allegation follows Venezuela's recent announcement of the arrest of mercenaries purportedly connected to the U.S. intelligence agency. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil stated that he informed Trinidad and Tobago about the alleged operation, which he characterized as a false-flag operation. "On our territory, a criminal cell financed by the CIA and linked to this covert operation is being dismantled," Gil said.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed that at least four suspects have been apprehended. However, Venezuela has not provided additional details regarding the alleged plot. The U.S. has previously conducted airstrikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea, claiming they were involved in drug trafficking, resulting in the deaths of 43 individuals.

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the ongoing military campaign in international waters targets alleged drug traffickers in Latin America. In contrast, Venezuela asserts that the U.S. aims to remove President Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington does not recognize as a legitimate leader. César Álvarez, a terrorism studies lecturer at Charles Sturt University, noted earlier this month that it increasingly appears the U.S. is pursuing regime change in Venezuela.

U.S. politicians have echoed similar sentiments. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen remarked that the American public "deserves to know" if the U.S. government is indeed seeking regime change in Venezuela.

Recently, Trump indicated he had approved covert actions in Venezuela and was contemplating operations on Venezuelan soil. The U.S. military has already conducted several strikes against Venezuelan vessels, which the Trump administration claims were involved in drug trafficking. This military activity coincides with a U.S. naval deployment in the Caribbean, which includes seven warships and the USS Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world.

The USS Gravely arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, for a four-day visit that will involve joint training exercises with local defense forces. Venezuela, whose eastern coast is located as close as 11 kilometers from Trinidad, has labeled this deployment a provocation "aimed at provoking a war in the Caribbean."