Venezuela Alleges CIA-Backed Mercenary Plot to Trigger Military Conflict in the Caribbean

Venezuela’s government announced on Sunday that it had captured a “mercenary group” allegedly linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) — a claim that, if true, could mark one of the most serious incidents between Washington and Caracas in recent years. According to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, the detained individuals were supposedly plotting a “false flag attack” aimed at sparking a military conflict in the Caribbean, particularly near the waters separating Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.

Rodríguez accused the CIA of being directly involved in coordinating the alleged plot, which she described as an operation designed to provoke U.S. military retaliation or regional instability. “A false flag attack is underway in waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago or from Trinidadian or Venezuelan territory to generate a full military confrontation with our country,” she said in a televised statement. However, the Venezuelan official offered no verifiable evidence, nor did she specify how many people had been captured, their nationalities, or the nature of their mission.

President Nicolás Maduro, speaking later in a separate address broadcast nationally, said that Venezuela was suspending all energy cooperation agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, citing “security concerns and foreign interference.” The suspension affects a series of joint gas exploration and pipeline projects in the Dragon Field, a key natural gas reserve off the Venezuelan coast that was intended to supply Trinidad’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants. The move underscores a serious deterioration in regional energy ties just months after both nations had restored dialogue to boost economic cooperation.

Maduro’s administration compared the alleged CIA-linked operation to historic provocations that triggered major wars, invoking the 1898 USS Maine explosion—which led to the Spanish-American War—and the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, which preceded America’s deep involvement in Vietnam. “History teaches us that imperial powers manufacture excuses to justify invasions,” Rodríguez said, portraying Venezuela as a potential target of a similar plot.

A Brewing Storm in the Caribbean

The accusation arrives amid a sharp rise in U.S. military activity in the Caribbean. Just last week, War Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the region as part of expanded operations against drug cartels believed to have ties to the Maduro regime. U.S. officials have accused top Venezuelan military and political leaders of facilitating narcotics trafficking through the Caribbean and into Central America.

The Pentagon confirmed over ten U.S. airstrikes in recent weeks targeting suspected narco-trafficking boats operating in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific, reportedly killing more than 30 individuals. These operations form part of a larger campaign combining naval patrols, drone surveillance, and intelligence-sharing with Caribbean allies to disrupt what Washington calls “narco-terrorist networks backed by hostile regimes.”

Compounding tensions, joint U.S.–Trinidad and Tobago military exercises are currently underway in the southern Caribbean, focusing on maritime security, search-and-rescue, and anti-smuggling operations. The proximity of these drills to Venezuelan waters has raised alarm in Caracas, where officials allege they are cover for potential “covert infiltration attempts.”

The CIA Factor and Washington’s Silence

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump confirmed during a press briefing that he had authorized covert operations in Venezuela, ostensibly to dismantle narcotics networks and “restore democracy.” The statement marked the first open acknowledgment of CIA activity in the country since 2019, when Washington backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s failed uprising.

Trump hinted that U.S. intelligence and special forces could “expand operations on land” to dismantle trafficking networks allegedly controlled by Maduro and his inner circle. The U.S. government maintains a $50 million bounty on Maduro’s head, accusing him of running the so-called “Cartel of the Suns” — a network of Venezuelan military and political officials accused of shipping cocaine to North America and Europe.

The White House declined to comment on the latest Venezuelan claims, and U.S. defense officials privately dismissed the allegations as “propaganda meant to distract from domestic unrest and economic collapse.” Venezuela is currently enduring one of its worst economic crises on record, with hyperinflation, fuel shortages, and international sanctions crippling its oil exports.

Regional Repercussions

The Venezuelan announcement could have ripple effects across the region. Trinidad and Tobago, a critical energy hub and U.S. security partner, has so far not issued any formal response, though local media report that the government is seeking clarification from both Caracas and Washington. The suspension of energy cooperation deals could undermine efforts to stabilize gas production and exports in the southern Caribbean, where both countries had hoped to create a joint LNG supply chain.

Meanwhile, observers warn that any military misstep or naval skirmish in the Caribbean could spiral into a wider confrontation. With U.S. carrier groups, F-35 fighter jets, and thousands of troops now operating in international waters close to Venezuela, the risk of miscalculation is significant.

While Maduro’s regime has a history of issuing unverified claims about foreign invasions, this latest allegation comes at a particularly volatile time — one where geopolitical friction, energy politics, and covert warfare are converging in one of the world’s most strategically important maritime zones.

Whether this “mercenary group” truly exists or serves as another piece of political theater, Venezuela’s dramatic accusations have added a dangerous new layer to an already combustible Caribbean security landscape.