In the tranquil village of Icacos, Trinidad, Kenrick Modie, a local fisherman, recently expressed his fears about the escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Venezuela. Living just 11 miles from Venezuela, Modie and his community are increasingly anxious about the potential fallout from U.S. military strikes targeting suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean. U.S. President Donald Trump has declared an ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels, alleging they are attempting to bring ‘deadly poison’ to U.S. shores. This has led to heightened military activity in the region, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordering multiple strikes on small boats accused of carrying drugs off Venezuela’s coast.
Venezuela, in response, has accused the U.S. of military aggression, prompting President Nicolás Maduro to place the country’s military and civilians on high alert. Caught in the middle is Trinidad and Tobago, a nation heavily reliant on its multimillion-dollar fishing industry, which employs thousands of fishermen. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has voiced support for U.S. actions against drug cartels, even offering access to Trinidad and Tobago for U.S. forces to defend Guyana from Venezuelan territorial claims. However, Maduro views this as a declaration of war, further straining relations.
For fishermen like Modie, the stakes are personal. They fear being mistaken for drug smugglers and killed in U.S. strikes, with no way to prove their innocence. The tension has already forced fishermen to stay in shallower waters, reducing their catch and threatening their livelihoods. The situation has drawn international concern, with Caribbean leaders at the United Nations General Assembly calling for dialogue to avoid war and describing the militarization of the region as ‘exceedingly troubling.’
As the U.S. and Venezuela continue their standoff, the fishermen of Trinidad and Tobago are left to navigate a precarious existence, praying for peace while grappling with the harsh realities of their new, fear-filled fishing routines.