(MENAFN) The Trump administration has sharply escalated its military posturing against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, marked by the arrival of a U.S. warship in the capital of Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.

The guided missile destroyer USS Gravely docked in Port of Spain, effectively joining the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier as the major vessel continues its trajectory closer to Venezuelan maritime territory.

Maduro himself immediately denounced the deployment, claiming the U.S. was striving to spark “a new eternal war” targeting his country.

Adding to the condemnation, the Venezuelan government officially slammed the presence of the USS Gravely, characterizing it as a “hostile provocation against Venezuela and a serious threat to Caribbean peace,” further alleging that the U.S. was potentially plotting a false flag operation.

In a formal statement, the Venezuelan government made a specific claim: "Venezuela reports that it has captured a mercenary group with direct information from the U.S. intelligence agency, CIA, being able to determine that a false flag attack is underway from waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago, or from Trinidad or Venezuelan territory itself."

Joint officials from Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. confirmed the warship’s schedule, announcing that it is set to remain in the capital city until Thursday to facilitate combined training exercises between the two nations.

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