Venezuela on Sunday condemned what it called a military provocation by neighboring Trinidad and Tobago, in coordination with the United States Central Intelligence Agency, aimed at provoking all-out military confrontation with the Latin American nation.
Joint military exercises between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago are currently underway in the Caribbean, and Venezuela said it had captured a group of mercenaries “with direct information from the US intelligence agency” and whose aim was to carry out a false flag attack in the region.
A false flag attack is one in which an act is committed in such a way that another party appears responsible.
“A false flag attack is underway in the border waters of Trinidad and Tobago or from Trinidadian or Venezuelan territory to generate a total military confrontation with our country,” the Venezuelan government said in the statement.
The statement, issued by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, did not offer further details or evidence on the false flag attack accusations.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump confirmed reports that he had authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has previously made accusations of false flag attacks, including a plan to plant explosives against the US embassy in Caracas in early October.
The U.S. State Department was not immediately available for comment.
Trump has carried out several strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that the administration says were trafficking drugs.
The Pentagon stepped up its military buildup in the Caribbean this Friday by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group.
