Trump's Venezuela war puts Royal Navy in choppy water

The US military has orders to shoot narco-terrorists on sight, in a region patrolled by British warships. Military filmmaker Chris Terrill explains what their role is and if it could change

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HMS Manchester moves stealthily and invisibly through a moonless night. Rex Cox, the commanding officer, watches a small blip on his bridge radar screen, knowing his prey is close at hand.

“Four hundred yards to contact,” he says calmly. “Starboard 10.”

“Starboard 10, sir,” replies the quartermaster at the helm.

“Keep downwind. They mustn't hear us coming,” says Cox, still eyeing the blip. “Three hundred yards - stand by sea boats!”

Sitting in total darkness wearing infrared night sights, I am in one of two RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) full of heavily armed British sailors. We have already been lowered into the sea and are awaiting orders. An urgent voice comes through from the operations room deep in the bowels of the warship: “They're ditching packages, sir. We've got them on the thermal cameras.”

“They're spooked!” exclaims Cox. “Deploy sea boats and illuminate!” Immediately, the switches are pulled on two enormous searchlights - one on the starboard bridge wing and another from the midship waist. The RIB surges forward with a roar from its twin outboard motors. Every sailor has their weapon at the ready; my waterproofed camera is on my shoulder and I'm already shooting.

It's June 2010, and I've joined HMS Manchester for a seven-month mission to the Caribbean. I am making a documentary series for Channel 5, but it's no tropical jaunt. This is a vital deployment, codenamed APT(N) - Atlantic Patrol Tasking (North) - that is as perilous as it is gruelling.