State of emergency declared in Trinidad and Tobago as government launches anti-gang crackdown

Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency on Monday as the government braced for reprisals after an attempt on the life of a gang leader, officials said.

The Caribbean nation of two islands off the coast of Venezuela will use the state of emergency to launch an anti-gang crackdown, authorities said.

Although there will be no curfew, the declaration will come with increased police and military action.

Defense forces will become de facto police officers and both will be allowed to search without a warrant, Minister in Prime Minister Stuart Young’s office told a news conference.

Bail will be suspended and those suspected of committing a crime can be held for 48 hours without charge. That can be extended another seven days with court approval, Young said.

On Saturday, armed gunmen opened fire on a known gang leader who was leaving the police station, killing a member of his crew, according to Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

The report did not name the gang leader.

On Sunday night, five men were shot dead in what is believed to be an act of retaliation, Newsday reported.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we are dealing with an epidemic,” National Security Secretary Fitzgerald Hinds told reporters at a news conference.

Trinidad and Tobago has seen a record number of murders this year.

The island republic has recorded an unprecedented 623 homicides for the year to date, and according to Hinds, gang-related activities accounted for 263 of them.