The U.S. Marine Corps is beginning a week of training exercises just miles from Venezuela’s shores as President Trump weighs potential military operations inside of the country. On Sunday — the day the training exercises began — the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford also arrived in the region. 

Mr. Trump began targeted strikes in the Caribbean over the summer, destroying alleged drug boats, many of which originated in Venezuela. The president has reportedly approved CIA operations inside of Venezuela’s borders, and this weekend said he was not ruling out strikes in an attempt to take out President Nicolas Maduro.

On Friday, the U.S. embassy in Trinidad and Tobago, which is less than ten miles off of Venezuela’s coast, announced that members of the Marine Corps 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit would participate in training exercises with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. 

The exercises began on Sunday and are expected to end on Friday. 

The U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz, said in a statement that the training exercises are intended to support “USSOUTHCOM’s mission to promote regional stability, counter transnational threats, and enhance disaster response capabilities.”

“The exercises are conducted in close coordination with TTDF leadership, local and national government officials, and emergency services to ensure community safety and uphold cultural respect,” Ms. Neidhart de Ortiz said. “The engagement prioritizes partnership, professionalism, and shared experiences, including meals and informal interactions that foster camaraderie and mutual respect.”

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has expressed support for the heightened American military presence in the region. Last month, the USS Gravely was stationed at the nation’s capital, Port of Spain. After Mr. Maduro criticized the ship’s presence just off his shores, the government of Trinidad and Tobago insisted that they were committed to a partnership with America. 

“The visit of the USS Gravely aims to bolster the fight against transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian activities, and security cooperation. It will also strengthen the longstanding partnership between both countries which has provided enhanced medical care and disaster preparedness, improved lives, and strengthened communities in Trinidad and Tobago,” the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement at the time. 

With respect to the ongoing military training exercises and the presence of the USS Gerald Ford, Mr. Maduro said Saturday that such training exercises “gravely threaten the peace of the Caribbean,” according to a translation by CNN. 

Mr. Trump has not been shy about his disdain for Mr. Maduro and his concerns about the drug trade. Over the weekend, he again declined to rule out possible military operations to try to oust the Venezuelan president from his position. 

“I’ve sort of made up my mind, yeah,” Mr. Trump said on Air Force One when asked if he knew what his next steps would be. “I mean, I can’t tell you what it would be.”

Critics of Mr. Trump’s bombing campaign in the Caribbean and his possible military action inside of Venezuela say that such moves are not only wrong — they are illegal. 

“No one wants a war with Venezuela. To the extent they’re claiming it has something to do with the drug trade coming to the United States — the majority of the drugs don’t come through the Caribbean,” Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, told ABC News on Sunday. 

“And by the way — it’s wildly illegal. The president can’t start a war with a nation without a congressional authorization,” Mr. Murphy added.