The US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday warned Americans to stay away from US government facilities in the two-island country.
It was an unusual warning that came as tensions rose between the United States and Venezuela over deadly US strikes in Caribbean waters targeting suspected drug traffickers.
Venezuela is just miles from Trinidad, where people in one community are mourning the disappearance of two local fishermen believed to have died in Tuesday’s US strike.
The alert is based on threats against American citizens in the Caribbean country, which US authorities say “could be related” to ongoing tensions in the region, Trinidad and Tobago Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander told the AP.
Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago have responded to the threats by putting security measures in place to deal with any situation that may arise, Alexander said.
However, local authorities declined to provide specific details about the reported threats.
With six strikes since early September killing at least 28 people, the tense situation in the region was mentioned by US officials in a briefing with authorities in Trinidad and Tobago, Alexander said.
In the latest attack, the US 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 views the alleged drug traffickers as illegal combatants who must be confronted with military force.
