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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has accused the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) of having ties to the local drug mafia which finances its operations and therefore wanted to protect them. The Prime Minister made the accusation as she fired back at critics of the visit by a US Navy warship to Trinidad and Tobago. She further accused the PNM of creating hysteria and undermining national efforts to combat crime. The sense of unease among the population intensified on Thursday night when the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs announced that the USS Gravely (DDG-107) will dock in Port of Spain tomorrow, accompanied by the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit. According to the ministry, the five-day mission aims to facilitate military cooperation through expert exchanges focused on core infantry tactics, maintenance procedures, and advanced medical capabilities, while utilising T&T Defence Force (TTDF) facilities to enhance tactical proficiency and build mutual trust. Before the start of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee (SFC) yesterday, several Opposition members—including Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles—called on the Prime Minister during media interviews to provide more information about the US warship’s visit. The Prime Minister issued a two-page statement sharply rebuking the PNM, and accusing the party of having ties to the -local drug mafia, which she claimed -finances their operations. “Unfortunately, the Opposition PNM and their agents are persistent in creating unnecessary hysteria and conspiracy theories in a desperate attempt to create instability and chaos. It is most concerning that the PNM, a party long suspected of being financed by the local drug mafia, is -overtly attempting to undermine efforts to stop drug, arms and human trafficking into our country,” stated Persad-Bissessar. Warship most welcome Standing firmly in defence of the US warship’s visit, Persad-Bissessar said the Government of Trinidad and Tobago welcomes the United States Navy and Marine Corps to the nation’s shores for joint military training with the TTDF. The Prime Minister stated that Trinidad and Tobago has long been plagued by crime, and emphasised the importance of US assistance. “This visit augurs well for our nation. It represents a continued partnership in strengthening our national security, enhancing operational readiness, and improving protective capabilities,” she said. She said that for many years, the country’s open and poorly secured borders have enabled the trafficking of humans, drugs and firearms. Tens of thousands of illegal migrants have entered Trinidad and Tobago, and over 10,000 citizens have been brutally murdered in the last two decades, she added. The Prime Minister further pointed out that it is the PNM constituencies that have been most affected by crime. “Most disheartening is that the histori-cally PNM-controlled constituencies are the ones most affected by drugs and bloody gang violence, fuelled by the actions of the drug cartels. “Yet the PNM and their agents choose to put the interests of their drug mafia -financiers in front of their own constituents,” she said. Continuing her criticism, she added: “The PNM’s main concern is the protection of the illegal profits of their drug mafia -financiers. They have no care for the pain and suffering of their own constituents, far less all other citizens who have borne the terror of murder and grotesque violence for years.” Persad-Bissessar asserted that the PNM’s daily disinformation campaign is clearly aimed at derailing ongoing drug and arms interdiction efforts to protect their financiers. She also reminded that in December 2024, former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley and the US Department of Defence renewed and amended the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. This agreement facilitates interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces, the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Technical Assistance Field Team (CBSI-TAFT), and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), she said. She noted that the United States and T&T have maintained a SOFA since 2007, which was renewed in 2013 and again in December 2024. The Prime Minister concluded her statement by reaffirming her Government’s support for the US Navy presence. “We need all the help we can get to protect our people. Trinidad and Tobago must always come first. My Government will continue to work with our international partners to strengthen our institutions and safeguard our nation,” she said.
