A series of targeted police operations carried out over the weekend in Saint Vincent have led to the seizure of two unlicensed firearms and 21 rounds of ammunition, resulting in firearms charges against five local men — two of whom already have well-documented connections to serious violent crime. All five suspects have been refused bail ahead of upcoming court appearances.
The first group of defendants includes 38-year-old mechanic Zane Dopwell, a resident of Walvaroo, and 33-year-old entrepreneur Kyle Ragguette from Long Wall. Law enforcement alleges that the pair were found in possession of an unregistered Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol and 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition during the operation in Paul’s Avenue. Both men face two charges under the country’s Firearms Act: illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.
When the pair appeared before the Serious Offences Court, they entered formal not guilty pleas to both charges. Despite their pleas, the court rejected their bail applications and ordered the men held in official custody until their next scheduled hearing on October 5.
A second group of three suspects, all residents of the Diamond community, were taken into custody in connection with a separate firearms seizure in Kingstown. The defendants are 29-year-old mechanic Tearon James, 32-year-old tradesman Terrell McLean, and 32-year-old labourer Akeem Peniston. Police allege that the trio were in illegal possession of a Diamondback .380 semi-automatic pistol and six rounds of .380 ammunition, with no valid licenses issued under the Firearms Act. Like the first pair, all three pleaded not guilty to the charges against them during their court appearance. The judge denied bail for the trio and adjourned the case until October 12.
Two of the five suspects are no strangers to local law enforcement and have already made headlines in connection with other serious violent incidents. James, one of the three Diamond defendants, was originally charged with manslaughter over the January 2022 stabbing death of 23-year-old Diamond labourer Kevin George. In May 2022, the charge against James and co-accused Lesroy Stapleton was upgraded to murder, before being downgraded back to manslaughter during a preliminary inquiry in January 2023. James was granted EC$30,000 bail at that time, and the manslaughter case is still awaiting a hearing before the High Court.
Ragguette, the second suspect with prior high-profile connections, has survived multiple separate gun attacks, including a 2024 shooting in Paul’s Avenue that left another man dead. On September 13 that year, a shooting in the area killed Jawanza “Sanga” Fraser, who died of multiple torso gunshot wounds after being transported to Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Ragguette suffered only a graze wound to the hand in that incident. This was not his first such attack: in December 2022, Ragguette was shot multiple times — once in the upper right thigh and twice in the right foot — during an attack on a vehicle he was traveling in Lowmans Bay. The shooting occurred as the group was leaving a public entertainment event. Ragguette’s traveling companion, 34-year-old Diallo Small of Frenches, was shot five times in the attack and sustained serious injuries.
Following the weekend seizures and arrests, the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) reiterated its ongoing appeal to the public to help root out illegal weapons and criminal activity across the country. Members of the public with information related to unregistered firearms, ammunition, or other crimes are encouraged to submit tips to Police Control at 457-1211, or to contact the closest local police station. Police confirmed that investigations into the latest firearms cases are still ongoing.