US FED UP OF LACK OF ANTI-DRUG ACTION FROM ROWLEY

THE American authorities asked for last week’s meetings in Washington because the Keith Rowley Government is doing nothing to counter organised crime.

The visit was quickly organised and, in a break from tradition, Rowley met top officials of the US Department of Defence.

The US took the tough line as a result of the absence of action from the Rowley Administration on cartel drug and gun-running and money laundering, offshore surveillance, and porous borders.

Notably, the meeting was attended by Trinidad and Tobago’s Chief of Defence Staff Air Vice Marshall Darryl Daniel, and not National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds.

Washington officials were earlier briefed by its embassy in Port of Spain, led by the hands-on Candace Bond, who is being regularly informed by several anti-crime agencies.

The American officials are aware that all the major local cocaine busts – including the massive $234 million strike in May 2023 – were the direct result of the intervention of US agencies.

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Department of Security Service (DSS), and Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) were among six US organisations responsible for that crackdown.

In an unusual step, Ambassador Bond said: “I am proud of the six law enforcement agencies resident in the US Embassy and the great work they perform at great risk to support Trinbagonian criminal investigations.”

The US agencies were also behind the September arrest in north-west Trinidad of Shurlan Guppy, who was charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin and was later extradited to Pennsylvania.

Again, Bond came forward to hail the “painstaking work” that US agencies “do every single day to help end drug trafficking and to strengthen citizen security for the people of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Several arrests and drug seizures in the US have been traced to T&T.

American intelligence gathering has uncovered increased drug transhipment through T&T and other Caribbean islands, with minimal action from the local protective and law enforcement services.

“The ambassador has been keeping Washington properly informed,” a well-placed diplomat revealed.

Outside of Bond’s report, there are concerns among the US agencies about the lack of vigour by certain local political figures to root out organised crime.

Possible links to political financing have also been suggested.

At the meeting at the Department of Defence, the fed-up US top brass came down tough on the Rowley team but later issued a statement with subtle diplomatic language.

The Americans cited “illicit trafficking and maritime security, defence force modernisation and training, cyber-security.”

Rowley was told of the far-reaching impact of cybercrimes.

Ambassador Bond attended the meeting.

TSTT, the largest local telecommunications provider, was recently a cyber-attack victim.

The US is not thrilled about the growth of Chinese-owned Huawei Technologies in T&T.

Huawei is blacklisted in the US and other developed countries for alleged involvement in spying for the Chinese authorities.

The Americans are also uncomfortable with the Chinese-funded Phoenix Park Industrial Estate, which will accommodate more than 50 firms from that Asian country, including telecom firms.

Both Washington and US agencies based in Port of Spain will concentrate even more efforts against organised crime, which will put more pressure on the inactive Rowley Government.

Sources say if there is a continuing lack of progress, the US may put pressure on Rowley to replace certain senior officials in national security.