US Embassy issues warning to Americans in Trinidad and Tobago as tensions with Venezuela escalate

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PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago cautioned Americans on Saturday to stay away from American government facilities on the twin-island nation.

It was an unusual warning that came as tensions grow between the United States and Venezuela over deadly U.S. strikes in Caribbean waters targeting suspected drug traffickers.

The embassy didn't specify why it issued the warning, saying only that, “due to a heightened state of alert, please avoid and refrain from visiting all U.S. government facilities through the holiday weekend,” as it urged people to “be aware of your surroundings.” Monday is a holiday to celebrate Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights widely celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago, where 35% of its 1.4 million people identify as East Indian.

Venezuela is located just miles away from Trinidad, where people in one coastal community are mourning the disappearance of two local fishermen believed killed in a U.S. strike on Tuesday.

The alert is based on threats directed at American citizens in the Caribbean nation, with U.S. authorities saying “it could be linked” to ongoing tensions in the region, Trinidad and Tobago’s minister of homeland security, Roger Alexander, told The Associated Press. However, local authorities declined to share specific details about the reported threats.

Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago have responded to the threats by implementing security measures to deal with any situations that may arise, Alexander said.

With six strikes killing at least 29 people since early September, the tense situation in the region was mentioned by U.S. officials in a briefing with authorities in Trinidad and Tobago, Alexander said.

Following the most recent attack, the U.S. government took survivors into custody, after the military struck a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, officials said Friday.

The Trump administration has said it considers alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force.