PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (AP) — A U.S. warship docked in Trinidad and Tobago 's capital Sunday as the Trump administration boosts military pressure on neighboring Venezuela and its President Nicolás Maduro.

The arrival of the USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, in the capital of the Caribbean nation is in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela. Maduro criticized the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the U.S government to fabricate "a new eternal war” against his country.
U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Maduro, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organized crime gang Tren de Aragua.

Government officials from the twin-island nation and the U.S. said the massive warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday so both countries can carry out training exercises.

A senior military official in Trinidad and Tobago told The Associated Press that the move was only recently scheduled. The official spoke under condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that he fully supports the Trump administration’s military actions against Venezuela and Columbia, representing a differing opinion among members of his own party regarding applying force overseas.

The situation in recent weeks has escalated between the United States and Nicolás Maduro-led Venezuela as U.S. President Donald Trump has accused him with evidence of leading the crime syndicate Tren de Aragua. It has prompted the U.S. to deploy eight warships and more than 10,000 troops off the Venezuelan coast since August, with U.S. military strikes taking place in September against boats suggested to be part of a vast narco-trafficking ring.

More than 30 purported gang members have been killed over the past few weeks. Currently, the U.S. warship USS Gravely is docked in Trinidad and Tobago 's capital and nearer to Venezuela.

“The game is changing when it comes to drug traffickers and drug cartels,” Graham told CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday. “We’re going to use military force like we have in the past to protect our country.

“That’s the new game we’re playing, and I’m glad we’re playing that game. And if I were Maduro, I’d find a way to leave before heat goes down.”