As Trinidad and Tobago prepares for a packed holiday weekend featuring 64th Independence Day celebrations and Caribbean Premier League cricket matches, top national security officials have issued a stark warning to any actors plotting violence or disruption: “Don’t you dare!”
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander delivered the forceful message Sunday in response to newly disclosed unconfirmed threats targeting diplomatic facilities, embassy locations and government properties across the country. The warning comes on the heels of a weeks-long wave of unsolved bomb threats that have forced widespread evacuations, disrupted public operations and kept the nation’s security apparatus on high alert.
In blunt remarks to the *Sunday Express*, Alexander emphasized authorities are prepared to use any necessary measures to neutralize potential attacks, saying law enforcement would neutralize any attempted “madness” as quickly and smoothly as completing an everyday task like drinking water, then resume normal holiday activities without disruption.
“Everything is being monitored; we have our friends on the other side who are lending assistance—and not just one; several of our allies are working with us,” Alexander added. “If persons try to come and disrupt or cause any type of panic, they will be treated with ‘diskind’ courtesy. All will be well and for those who think they can disrupt, they will be dealt with expeditiously.”
Defence Minister Wayne Sturge echoed the government’s confidence in coordinated security efforts, telling reporters he has full trust in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and other national law enforcement agencies to protect the public. Sturge added he is fully satisfied with the strategic, tactical and logistical preparations put in place for the weekend’s large public gatherings.
The TTPS first publicly confirmed the new unconfirmed threat Saturday, noting that Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Suzette Martin has already ordered divisional commanders to roll out targeted security measures. Law enforcement is working closely with national intelligence and security partners to evaluate whether the threat is credible, and the service has urged the public to avoid spreading unsubstantiated speculation, particularly unconfirmed claims about potential suspects or groups.
“At this stage, the threat remains unverified,” the TTPS said in an official statement. “The TTPS cautions against speculation or the circulation of unconfirmed information, particularly claims concerning the identity, affiliation, or location of any person or group.”
The disclosure of the new potential threat comes just one day after Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro told reporters following a threat assessment that the overall risk level for Independence Day events remains “very low,” a finding that gave authorities confidence to proceed with the planned public celebrations. This year’s festivities mark a sharp break from 2024, when the government canceled the traditional military parade, official functions and state-sponsored fireworks due to national security concerns during an ongoing state of emergency. Last year’s events were replaced by a national Day of Prayer and Reflection, with permits limited to small, private silent fireworks displays.
For 2025, Guevarro confirmed that 222 officers have been assigned specifically to the Independence Day parade in Port of Spain, with more than 400 additional personnel allocated to contingency response and support roles. Officers will be deployed along the full ceremonial parade route and at the evening cultural celebration, with traffic and parking restrictions in place under two official legal notices covering both the Independence Day events and the CPL cricket matches. A full parking ban will be in effect at Queen’s Park Savannah from 6 a.m. Monday until 2 a.m. Tuesday, and Guevarro urged motorists to follow directions from on-site traffic officers and review location-specific restriction details ahead of time.
To support holiday traffic management, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation also announced Sunday that light motor vehicles will be permitted to use both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the Priority Bus Route between 8 p.m. and midnight on Independence Day, Monday August 31.
The current heightened security environment stems from a series of bomb threats that began on August 19, when more than 11 locations across the country—including eight magistrate’s courts, multiple government office buildings, and a popular shopping plaza—received threats within a 40-minute window. The coordinated threats triggered mass evacuations and large-scale response operations from explosive disposal teams and local law enforcement, all of which ultimately found no dangerous devices after full searches.
Three days later on August 22, two more locations—the Forestry Division headquarters on Long Circular Road and the Kapok Hotel in St Clair—received bomb threats that again required full searches by the Explosive Detection and Disposal Unit (EDDU), with no suspicious items found. The most recent incident before the latest unconfirmed threat came Thursday morning, when Scarborough Magistrates’ Court was evacuated after a threat was received; it was later confirmed to be false.
Every threat must be treated as potentially credible until a full search is completed, placing significant extra strain on the nation’s security agencies, particularly the small EDDU team. Alexander has previously stated that arrests in the case were imminent as investigators work to identify the party responsible for the wave of threats, but no arrests have been announced to date. Despite ongoing security concerns, officials have repeatedly confirmed that the 2025 Independence Day celebrations will proceed as scheduled, and have urged the public to attend planned events without fear, avoiding panic and the spread of unconfirmed information on social media.