Trinidad Government Launches Investigation After Reports Claim Citizens Were Killed in U.S. Strike

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has launched an official investigation following reports that two of its citizens were killed during a U.S. military strike off the coast of Venezuela last month.

The deaths are said to be connected to one of several recent U.S. operations targeting vessels in the southern Caribbean that Washington claims were being used to traffic drugs. 

Trinidadian officials confirmed they are seeking answers from the U.S. after reports surfaced identifying the deceased as local fishermen who may have been caught in the line of fire. Family members say they have received little information about what really happened and want transparency about how their loved ones ended up dead in a military strike zone.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has so far maintained a cautious stance, stating that while Trinidad supports the fight against narcotics trafficking, her government will not stay silent if innocent citizens were harmed. “We will not rest until the facts are clear,” one government spokesperson told local media.

The U.S. has defended its operations, claiming the strikes were part of an international effort to stop narcotics routes moving through the Caribbean. Still, with bodies turning up and anger growing in the region, pressure is mounting for Washington to explain exactly what happened, and for Trinidad’s government to make sure its citizens aren’t collateral damage in someone else’s war.