Photo caption: Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) David L Isom and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine on September 8, 2025, aboard USS Iwo Jima. DoW photo by Benjamin Applebaum
By Alicia Chamely
CHAIRMAN of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, the highest-ranking military officer in the US and military advisor to the President, is expected to meet with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday.
Caine’s visit comes just one day after the US State Department formally designated Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government as a foreign terrorist organisation, expanding their scope of action against the regime.
On Monday afternoon the US Embassy announced Caine’s visit in a media release.
It stated, “Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine will visit Trinidad and Tobago on November 25, 2025, to meet with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.”
The embassy stated the visit would, “focus on the two nations’ strong bi-lateral relationship, strengthening regional stability, and regional unity on the vital importance of countering illicit trafficking and transnational criminal organisations.”
In a release from the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday stated that the visit was on the request of the US.
It stated, “The meeting is being held at the request of the United States and will focus on the two nations’ strong bi-lateral relationship, strengthening regional stability and the vital importance to both countries of countering the illicit traffic in drugs and transnational criminal organisations. The Prime Minister welcomes the visit. Further details will be shared with the media after the meeting.”
The US Department of Defence listed Caine as the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking officer and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defence and National Security Council.
Before becoming Chairman on April 11, 20225, he was the Associate Director of Military Affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency.
The US Department of Defence stated, “He has served in a wide range of operational, staff and joint assignments, primarily as an F-16 fighter pilot, weapons officer, Member of the White House staff and special operations officer.”
On Monday Caine met with members of the US Military’s Southern Command stationed at a military base in Puerto Rico.
The US and T&T had held joint military training exercises in both October and November. The most recent exercise occurred from November 16-21.
Defending the November training exercise, Minister of Foreign Affairs and CARICOM Sean Sobers denied it had to do with the escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela.
Explaining the exercise he said, “The government, in our manifesto, promised to return order to TT, and this is exactly what we are doing. The focus of the upcoming exercises would be military-to-military engagements, allowing personnel from both countries to become familiar with each other’s equipment, tactics and techniques.”
