Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago has declared that unregistered vessels operating in Caribbean waters will be treated as pirate ships, granting them no legal protections. This statement comes amid growing controversy over US military strikes targeting suspected drug trafficking boats in regional waters.
Speaking to journalists outside the Red House in Port of Spain on December 9, Persad-Bissessar addressed reports of a September 2 incident where US forces allegedly struck a boat twice—a tactic known as ‘double tapping’ in military terminology—resulting in eleven fatalities. While expressing no sympathy for drug traffickers, the Prime Minister emphasized that the United States operates as a sovereign nation whose actions fall outside Trinidad and Tobago’s jurisdiction to judge.
‘US is a sovereign nation and they are free to exercise their sovereignty in manners they see fit,’ Persad-Bissessar stated. ‘I cannot be judge or jury here to determine whether they are right or wrong.’
The Prime Minister revealed that her government receives no advance notification of US military actions and does not intend to request additional information, characterizing these operations as US security matters. She articulated a firm stance on unregistered vessels: ‘Within the law, they are treated like pirates and therefore will not have the protection of others carrying a flag and identifying who they are.’
However, maritime lawyer Nyree Alfonso offered a more nuanced perspective, noting that while unregistered vessels might be ‘up to no good,’ they aren’t necessarily pirates in the legal sense. She explained that vessel registration functions as a maritime passport, and without it, boats become ‘almost like a ghost’ without national protection.
Alfonso acknowledged that while many might disagree with the US methodology, the results of disrupting drug trafficking networks would likely be welcomed by law-abiding citizens. She emphasized the interconnected nature of maritime crimes, noting that drug trafficking often correlates with gun running and human trafficking operations.
The ongoing US interdiction operations have resulted in at least 87 fatalities across nearly two dozen strikes since September, highlighting the intensifying efforts to combat drug cartels operating in Caribbean and South American waters.