State of Emergency declared in Trinidad and Tobago

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago on Friday declared a state of emergency (SOE), nearly three months after ending a 105-day SOE aimed at tackling criminal activity.

Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro described the events leading up to the SOE as a matter of “grave concern,” telling a news conference that on Thursday the police received intelligence reports indicating that organised criminal gangs — including individuals both inside and outside the prison system — had formed what he termed an "organised crime syndicate."

“When I received this information, it was most troubling to me. I had to approach the National Security Council last night. After addressing the Council, I later had a briefing with the Prime Minister [Kamla Persad-Bissessar] and the Attorney General [John Jeremie],” he said.

Guevarro said he made the recommendation for a state of emergency “with a heavy heart,” requesting that emergency powers be granted to the police.

Guevarro, who is marking his first full month in office, confirmed that President Christine Kangaloo signed the proclamation for the SOE on Thursday night. “Following that, my men and I hit the ground running,” he said.

He noted that he had just returned from the Maximum Security Prison at Golden Grove, “where I personally supervised the extraction of those gang leaders to be placed in another facility.”

Guevarro stated that the gang leaders will no longer have access to the “liberal communication” they previously used to orchestrate criminal activities.

“Moreover, we have seen recent acts of kidnapping and homicides being committed against our citizenry, which we have traced back to this organised crime syndicate. As your Commissioner of Police, I cannot, in good conscience, stand before you, knowing what I know, and not take definitive action.”

He added that since the SOE was proclaimed, law enforcement has been conducting both covert and overt operations across the country.

“This is not an SOE of reaction; it is an SOE of pro-action,” he declared.

While declining to disclose the number of inmates moved, Guevarro said: “We do not want to make these people famous. Just know they are safely incarcerated in a place where communication is now limited.”

When asked if members of the protective services were involved in the syndicate, he responded, “If I were to tell you no, I would be lying — because how else would we be finding phones inside the same cells?”

“There are persons who seem hell-bent on facilitating the communication of these criminals. By removing them from this environment and placing them in one that is more secure, I can be assured that the communication link is broken.”

Since taking office, Guevarro said his officers have removed more than 30 firearms from the streets and brought several individuals before the courts. He noted that those officers would be rewarded for their actions.

Guevarro emphasized that this SOE — unlike the previous one declared under former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley — is not tied to any political threats.

“This has absolutely nothing to do with any particular threat to a politician or any specific group,” he said. “There is a group of criminals in our society — some behind bars and some on the outside — who have formed themselves into an amalgamated organised crime syndicate and intend to wreak havoc on the good citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”

While there will be no curfew, police will be granted additional powers under the SOE, including the authority to enter homes and conduct searches without warrants.

Guevarro warned officers against abusing these powers, stressing that the law outlines clear consequences for misconduct.

“The only people who need to be concerned are the criminals. This SOE and the emergency powers are specifically targeted at them. Law-abiding citizens have no reason to fear,” he said.

Earlier, in a statement, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service noted that while no curfew is being imposed at this time, citizens are urged to remain calm, comply with law enforcement, and report any suspicious activity.

“This network is actively mobilising resources and orchestrating targeted attacks against senior officials and national institutions,” the statement said.

It further noted that a critical enabler of this threat is the unauthorised trafficking of cellular devices into prisons by compromised personnel.

“These devices have facilitated encrypted communications and real-time coordination between incarcerated individuals and external operatives,” the police said, adding that funding for these operations is derived from a range of violent and organised criminal activities — including high-value robberies, armed home invasions, extortion, kidnapping, and infiltration of state-funded contracts and programmes.

The police said the scale, coordination, and internal facilitation of these activities indicate an operational capability that exceeds the containment capacity of conventional law enforcement.

“As such, a comprehensive and immediate strategic response was required to safeguard national stability and protect public officials and institutions,” the statement concluded.

In Trinidad and Tobago, a state of emergency can initially be declared by the President for one month. It may be extended by the House of Representatives in three-month increments, up to a maximum of six months. Any further extension requires approval by both Houses of Parliament, with a three-fifths majority vote, and cannot exceed three months per extension.

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