Trinidad and Tobago declare state of emergency for the second time in a year amid surge in gang violence

Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency for the second time this year, as the Caribbean nation faces a threat from organised criminal gangs both inside and outside the country’s jails.

The Commissioner of Police, Allister Guevarro, announced on Friday that a state of emergency will be imposed in the nation after officials received intelligence which suggested that gangs had “formed themselves into … an organised crime syndicate” and are planning assassinations, robberies and kidnapping across the country.

What is the police doing?

He added that police officials have already started transferring and relocating some of the gang members from one prison to another so that their planning can be stopped.

“There are persons who seem hellbent on facilitating the communication of these persons with the outside. So by removing them from this environment and placing them in one where they are much more secure, I can feel rest assured that communication link is broken,” said Guevarro.

Organised crime in Trinidad and Tobago

The twin-island Caribbean nation, home to approximately 1.5 million people, has been grappling with escalating gang violence and rising homicide rates for over a decade. In 2024, it recorded 624 homicides, placing it among the most violent countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

However, in May of this year, local media reported a 33 per cent decline in homicides compared to the same period in 2024 and 2023.

Meanwhile, despite declaring a state of emergency for the second time in seven months, Guevarro said that crime rates in the country have not surged in recent days, calling the announcement a pre-emptive measure as part of a larger plan to curb gang violence.

However, the country’s attorney general, John Jeremie, stated on Friday that there has been a resurgence in gang-related homicides and kidnappings. When asked about the duration of the state of emergency, he responded that it would last “as long as the security forces tell us that they need the additional legislative support.”