CoP: US strikes disrupting drug and contraband flow to Trinidad

Commissioner of Police (CoP) Allister Guevarro has agreed with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that targeted US bombings of several alleged drug-smuggling vessels off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks have already made a “measurable impact” on the local drug trade.He said the price of illicit narcotics had risen sharply because of a shortage caused by recent US airstrikes and several major seizures by local law enforcement in the past few weeks.

Guevarro revealed, “The intelligence indicates that there is a current shortage of the illicit drugs, particularly from those trafficked from Venezuela and Colombia, and the disruption has directly affected the availability of narcotics in T&T.”Citing the rising local prices of illicit narcotics and noting that demand had recently surged, the commissioner said, “In business terms, when there is a shortage in supply cost goes up.”

“So we have detected a marked increase in the price of illegal narcotics on the streets.”He said the detention orders have had an impact on crime.“With just 85 persons being taken out of the system and placed safely aside, we have a 42 per cent decrease in homicides. We have a 19 per cent decrease in violent crimes. An 11 per cent decrease in other serious reported crimes. A 28 per cent in larceny of motor vehicles; woundings and shootings are down from 1,508 last year to 980 this year. Sexual offences down, kidnappings down, robberies down, breaking offences down, and general larceny is down. That is 85 people.”

As of yesterday morning, there were 315 murders compared to 534 for the same period in 2024.