US radar, troops to remain in Tobago

The United States military radar system will remain in Tobago for some time because it is needed along with US troops on the ground to assist in the fight against crime, Defence Minister Wayne Sturge has said.

In November 2025, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar confirmed that United States marines had installed a radar system at the ANR Robinson International Airport on the sister island.

She noted then that it was not intended to launch any attack against Venezuela, but to enhance surveillance against narcotics traffickers.

At the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s yesterday, the Express noted that The National Interest, an online publication, had praised Persad-Bissessar for leading Caribbean security through her support of US President Donald Trump in the fight against transnational crime.

The Express asked if the US radar remained in place and for how long.

The radar—an AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR)—is a multi-mission air and missile surveillance system.

Sturge said T&T needs the system, but would not provide timelines.

“We would have the use of the radar for the foreseeable future, I can’t give a definitive timeline and the reason why we need it, we already have a radar centre but our radar systems are somewhat limited.

“The radar systems provided by the US, they work with drone technology and satellite communications and so on, so that it offers a lot more than what we have and that is needed at this point in time to achieve certain objectives...,” said Sturge.

The minister recalled the country’s border security challenges, noting the Coast Guard fleet was not where it should be.

He said US assistance with detection “which would help us with the limited fleet we have, it would help us to respond in a timely manner and intercept”.

Presence of foreign military personnel does not diminish citizens’ sovereignty

Asked whether US military personnel were still stationed in Trinidad and Tobago and how many, Sturge said he could not disclose the information for security reasons.

“I will not disclose the numbers—that would be unwise. I don’t think anywhere that sort of information would be disclosed because that is not in the public interest unless you can tell me how the public would be well served by knowing that. Until you tell, you could justify that, I wouldn’t be providing that information,” he said.

Questioned further, Sturge said the presence of foreign military personnel did not diminish citizens’ sovereignty but strengthened it, as they assisted in confronting the “enemy”—narco-traffickers the country has struggled to contain for decades.

Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander noted that thousands of visitors enter the country and that a ship was in port from Spain yesterday.

He said many people were here and authorities were not checking individuals indiscriminately, but wanted visitors to come and enjoy themselves.

Sturge questioned the concern about US military personnel being in T&T and how disclosing their numbers would benefit the public.

“If I tell it to you in this forum, would I not be telling the world at large? If I am telling the world at large, will I be telling the criminal element? Is that a wise thing to do?” he asked.

Sturge said it was unwise to share national security information with criminals.

He also referenced the book The Art of War by Sun Tzu, noting that when you are at your strongest, you should give the impression that you are at your weakest; and when you are at your weakest, you should give the impression that you are at your strongest.

He said the country has effectively been at war with narco-traffickers since the 1990s, with the impact visible in the inability to stem the flow of drugs and guns.

Most murders, he added, were gun- and drug-related, with firearms the weapon of choice.

“They are fighting basically over drug turf so if we have not been able to stem that over the last three decades or so, and we are getting assistance in doing it now, should I tell the narco-traffickers, well, we have X amount of US personnel here, and this is where they are stationed, so that they’ll know well how to conduct their business? No, that’s not how it’s done,” said Sturge.

The minister said the Government was restoring the Coast Guard fleet by repairing several vessels, and intends to acquire additional smaller craft to pursue narco-traffickers who use speedboats.

He added that the country’s aerial assets were sufficient and operational.

Asked whether Sturge or Alexander would accompany the Prime Minister next week to the Caricom meeting in St Kitts and Nevis, Alexander said they would not, explaining that Persad-Bissessar, as head of the National Security Council, already had access to all relevant information.