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

The vessel is scheduled to remain in the small Caribbean nation until Thursday, during which time a contingent of U.S. Marines will conduct joint training with local defense forces. The exercises are part of an expanding military campaign by the United States against drug-trafficking organizations in Latin America, a campaign that has specifically targeted Maduro, a longtime adversary of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to U.S. officials, American forces have destroyed at least 10 boats allegedly used for smuggling narcotics, resulting in the deaths of at least 43 people. Trump has also threatened ground operations against suspected cartels in Venezuela.

Maduro, whose re-election last year was widely condemned as fraudulent, has accused the United States of “fabricating a war” aimed at toppling his government. The standoff escalated sharply on Friday when the Pentagon ordered the deployment of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the region. Trump has also reportedly authorized CIA operations against Venezuela.

The crisis has drawn in Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a vocal critic of the U.S. strikes, who was sanctioned by Washington on Friday for allegedly allowing drug trafficking to flourish. Washington has accused both Maduro and Petro of being “narcoterrorists,” though it has provided no evidence to support these claims.

In August, Washington deployed a fleet of eight U.S. Navy ships, ten F-35 fighter jets, and a nuclear-powered submarine to the region for anti-drug operations — the largest military buildup in the area since the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama. (Bssnews)