Police chase illegal migrants – Trinidad Tribune

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Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher during a press conference hosted by the Ministry of National Security, at its headquarters in Port of Spain on September 6. – Photo by Angelo Marcelle

Police Commissioner (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher said police will target any “migrants” involved in illegal activities, while denying she was specifically referring to Venezuelans.

She spoke at a briefing at the Ministry of National Security in Port of Spain on September 6.

The CoP also complained about an “increase in women involved in gang activities” and vowed to hold parents accountable for their children’s activities.

“We also have migrants – legal or illegal – who are involved in criminal activities.

“So we want to talk to the illegal migrants to let them know that we are going after them.

“In our bars, with all their illegal activities, we will tackle them.”

The CoP did not specify which “activities” in bars the police would arrest migrants for.

She also did not say what proportion of crimes in Trinidad and Tobago were committed by migrants.

A reporter asked how police would apprehend migrants, for example by working with immigration officials.

She replied, “Yes, we work with immigration.

“But I want you to be clear about what I said. I said that we have legal and illegal immigrants who are involved in criminal activity. Is that correct? And yes, we will be.”

Asked if the focus was on areas such as southwest Trinidad, she said: “Illegal immigrants operate throughout the country. So every division will focus on the illegal immigrants.”

Newsday asked for some details about her plans to address migrant crime. Would she follow a priest’s recent plea for Venezuelans in law enforcement, contact authorities in Venezuela, and launch a Spanish-language hotline, given the Newsday reporter’s recent experience of finding no Spanish-speaking officers in a major police department to speak with an alleged trafficking victim, nor any referrals from officers to a Spanish-language hotline? Could all police departments refer people to a centralized Spanish-language hotline?

Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds answered the question.

“We have established the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) under the laws of TT and its purpose is to handle reports and investigate and process cases of human trafficking.

“And yes, they have the possibility of Spanish-speaking interpreters and there are hotlines and their messages are sent bilingually in that sense. “Therefore, the answer to your question is yes and I would suggest that you refer that person to the Counter Trafficking Unit and I assure you that everything will go smoothly from there.”

Newsday suggested that frontline police officers should be aware of the CTU.

Harewood-Christopher said it was a “very good” proposal.

“First of all, I want to make it clear that when I talk about illegal immigrants, I did not talk about Venezuelans.”

Newsday asked which country she meant.

She replied, “I didn’t specifically say Venezuelans. I said illegal immigrants. I want to make that clear.”

The CoP has raised the language issue.

From left to right: Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher, Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister of the Department of National Security (responsible for police) Keith Scotland and Chief of Defence Staff Darryl Daniel during a press conference hosted by the Department of National Security, at its headquarters in Port of Spain on September 6. – Photo by Angelo Marcelle

“As for Spanish, we have implemented Spanish language courses for officers. Right now, we can’t say that 25 percent or 10 percent of our officers can speak or understand Spanish. But we are working on it.

“As for your hotline, I think that’s something we can set up because we have officers who are fluent in Spanish.”

Newsday asked if we could look out for such a hotline.

Harewood-Christopher replied: “But you have to understand that learning a language takes time.”

The registration of Venezuelan migrants took place from May 31 to June 14, 2019.

Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshall Darryl Daniel, said the Coast Guard faces challenges but the fleet will soon be expanded and modernised.

“Approval has been received and is being implemented for the immediate repair of some smaller vessels and the procurement of immediately available vessels of suitable size and functionality for use by the Coast Guard. Otherwise, he said, all eight of the Coast Guard’s larger vessels would be returned to service in phases over 18 months.

“In addition, a process has been initiated to acquire additional new naval assets to address identified gaps in our maritime domain awareness and control.”

However, he said the new arrivals and old overhauls were delayed due to global shipping challenges.

Daniel later said that a ship had just returned from drydock in Suriname and that work was continuing at Staubles Bay, as part of the larger ships being phased back into service. He said that funding had been received to maintain smaller interceptors, starting at the end of the month.

Daniel spoke extensively about the expansion of the Coast Guard fleet.

“There should be an increase of about 30 vessels – smaller interceptors and medium-sized launches – to complement the larger vessels.” This was based on the gap the Coast Guard had identified in gaining domain awareness and control.

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“You will appreciate it as an island, it is impossible to be everywhere.”

He said the operations would be intelligence-based, using coastal radar that is now being upgraded.

“We use technology and intelligence to make our operations as successful as possible.”

He said that in the medium/long term, 30 ships should be purchased, including 15 interceptors and 15 launches.

“Within 18 months we should have the larger assets we have, the six Damens and two Austals, back in service, in addition to the interceptors that work with them.”

He said the Coast Guard, in the meantime, had the authority to immediately procure appropriate vessels for its operational capabilities.

On September 4, a Newsday article – Venezuelan Gangs Interfering in TT Crime – reported that Venezuelan criminal groups in TT were operating in collaboration and competition with TT gangs. The article was based on a recent report by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) titled Caribbean Gangs: Drugs, Firearms and Gangs (sic) Networks in Jamaica, St Lucia, Guyana and TT.

Venezuelan gangs were said to be involved in extortion, human trafficking and the smuggling of illegal drugs and weapons.

“Strong cultural ties in southern Trinidad with Venezuela have made the coastal region, including Icacos, Cedros and Moruga, sites of extensive drug, arms and migrant trafficking. The country has long been affected by drug trafficking and trafficking and high rates of violent crime.

“The main route of entry for drugs into TT is Venezuela and to a lesser extent Guyana and Suriname, with the drugs being transported via commercial cargo, private fast boats and fishing vessels.”

However, the report complained about the limited interdiction due to the TT Coast Guard’s limited cooperation with the Venezuelan Guardia Nacional.

According to the report, TT has the most Venezuelan migrants per capita in the world, estimated at 60,000, higher than the 16,523 legally registered in TT.

“While research shows that migrants are no more likely to commit crimes than locals, the arrest of a high-level gang member in 2019 raised alarm bells.

“Authorities arrested Darwin ‘El Culón’ García Gibori, the leader of the Evander gang, along with seven other Venezuelans and a Trinidadian fisherman, in Port (sic) Fortin, in southern Trinidad. The gang is involved in both extortion of boats carrying Venezuelan migrants and in transporting drugs and weapons.”

García Gibori was later sentenced to five years in prison by a judge in Point Fortin after pleading guilty to weapons possession.

Evander – the Deltano Liberation Front – has incorporated its members into TT gangs, the report, which cites police and immigration sources, said.

The report, like the CoP, does not quantify the involvement of Venezuelans in criminal activities in TT.