A U.S. Navy destroyer equipped with guided missiles, helicopters, and U.S. Marines has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago—just miles from Venezuela’s coast—triggering a furious response from Caracas on Monday.

The USS Gravely , an Arleigh Burke-class warship, docked in Port of Spain on Sunday to take part in joint exercises with Trinidad and Tobago’s defense forces, according to U.S. officials.

Venezuelan officials immediately denounced the move, calling it a threat to regional stability. Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused the U.S. and its Caribbean ally of staging “a military provocation” near Venezuelan territorial waters, warning it risked igniting a broader conflict in the region.

Newsweek has reached out to the State Department and the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry for

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