分类： society

A major joint law enforcement operation in Trinidad and Tobago has resulted in six people being taken into custody, with two serving municipal police officers among the detainees, in connection with two linked criminal cases: the fatal killing of local resident Anuska Eversley and a daring theft of firearms from a police compound in the city of San Fernando.

Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) officials confirmed the breakdown of the suspects: two female civilians, two male civilians, and the two uniformed officers who are currently suspended pending investigation. The arrests were carried out in a series of coordinated overnight raids, developed through actionable intelligence and carried out by multiple specialized TTPS units. Participating teams included the San Fernando Criminal Investigations Department, the Special Branch national security unit, and the TTPS Special Investigations Unit, which handles high-profile and complex cases.

In a major breakthrough for the investigation, law enforcement has recovered the vast majority of the stolen weapon cache. Recovered items include 10 M&P pistols, 10 Glock 19 pistols, one Browning pistol, one Smith & Wesson pistol, and 612 rounds of 9mm ammunition, all described by police as a substantial portion of the total stolen arsenal.

TTPS Commissioner Allister Guevarro personally joined operational teams on the ground in the early hours of the operation, as the investigation reached a critical turning point. In an official statement released to the public, the TTPS noted that the probe remains active and is currently at a sensitive investigative stage. The service has given a public assurance that every available resource is being deployed to hold all responsible parties accountable for the linked crimes, and to see the investigation through to a successful conclusion.

A shocking brazen attack inside a Trinidad and Tobago police station has left one veteran officer dead and triggered a major national security manhunt after dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition were stolen from the facility’s secured armory. The incident unfolded Sunday, April 19, 2026, at the San Fernando Municipal Police Station on Lady Hailes Avenue, where a colleague discovered the body of 42-year-old Corporal Anuska Eversley, a mother of three, who suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the neck. An initial inventory by law enforcement confirmed that 62 firearms and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition were missing from the station’s stored cache, prompting the highest level of response from the country’s national security agencies.

Hours after the grim discovery, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander addressed reporters at the Southern Division Headquarters in San Fernando, where he publicly reaffirmed his unwavering confidence in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) to lead a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. When pressed on whether the government had discussed implementing a nationwide curfew to curb escalating violence following the attack, Alexander confirmed no such proposal had been put forward for consideration, noting that Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago had already received a preliminary briefing on the incident and would receive updates as the investigation progresses.

Alexander pushed back against growing public criticism that the current administration is failing to get a handle on rising violent crime, arguing that years of unaddressed criminal activity cannot be reversed overnight. “Criminality is something that grows from strength to strength. So we must now intercept it, treat with it, dismantle it, and then you will see the benefits of it. It is not a ‘now process’—it is an ongoing process,” he told reporters. When asked about a social media post from Wendell Eversley, a relative of the slain officer, calling for his dismissal, Alexander said he had not yet seen the post and would not comment until he could review the content directly.

In a separate statement released to media Sunday, Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge announced the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) had immediately moved to an elevated operational posture to support the TTPS and Municipal Police Service in the ongoing investigation and manhunt. Sturge urged the public to remain calm and avoid unsubstantiated rumors, noting that intelligence assets have been deployed across the country and continuous monitoring is underway to respond to any emerging threats. “All necessary resources are being applied to secure the environment and advance the investigation,” Sturge said, adding that the defence ministry is coordinating closely with police leadership and the broader national security network to deliver a unified, disciplined response.

Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen echoed calls for patience, urging members of the public and media to refrain from speculation that could undermine the ongoing investigation. In an official statement, Ameen said she is awaiting a full briefing from the Assistant Commissioner responsible for Municipal Police before offering further comment, and extended deep condolences to Eversley’s family, loved ones, and fellow officers. The Ministry of Local Government confirmed the tragedy in an official release, noting that Eversley was killed while on active duty, and that investigators are working systematically to map out the full sequence of events. “This tragic incident serves as a solemn reminder of the risks undertaken daily by members of the Municipal Police Service in their commitment to public safety and national service,” the release read. The ministry pledged to release additional details to the public as soon as they are cleared by investigators.

The high-profile attack has reignited long-simmering public debate over government efforts to combat organized crime and improve security at law enforcement facilities across the twin-island nation, with investigators now working against the clock to recover the stolen cache of weapons before they can be trafficked into illegal street networks.

A 10-year veteran of Trinidad and Tobago’s municipal police force and a devoted mother of three has been lost to a fatal on-duty shooting that has shaken the southern city of San Fernando and sparked urgent calls for political accountability over rising violent crime.

Forty-two-year-old Anuska Eversley, an acting corporal based at the San Fernando Municipal Police Station, died early Sunday after being shot in the neck while on duty. A resident of Edinburgh 500, she leaves behind three children aged 18, 15 and 7. The shooting was also followed by the theft of multiple firearms and rounds of ammunition from the station’s secure strong room.

Eversley’s death carries an extra layer of tragedy: it came exactly three years after her brother was gunned down in a separate violent attack. On the same date in 2021, Daniel Eversley, known by the nickname “Ghost”, was killed in a shooting at a car wash in Forres Park, Claxton Bay.

San Fernando Mayor Robert Parris, who has known Eversley professionally for years, shared intimate memories that painted a portrait of a woman fully committed to both her career and her family. Two years ago, Parris said, Eversley reached out to him to calm her daughter’s pre-exam anxiety ahead of the national Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA). That small interaction forged a parental bond between them.

“After that incident, whenever we met, we talked as parents, about our children,” Parris recalled in an interview with the Express. “That’s how I knew she was such a dedicated mother.”

Across his 16 years working with the San Fernando City Corporation, Parris added, Eversley earned a reputation as an exceptionally efficient, reliable member of the municipal police force. In an official statement of condolence released Monday, Parris framed her death as an incalculable loss for the entire community.

“This is a devastating loss for our city. I have known acting Corporal Eversley for many years, and I remember her as a dedicated and committed officer who served with quiet strength, professionalism, and pride. Her passing has left a profound void within the Municipal Police and the wider San Fernando community,” the statement read.

Parris has called on Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander and Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro to launch a prompt, full investigation into what he described as a “tragic and disturbing event.” Senior law enforcement colleagues echoed Parris’ praise, with one senior officer noting Eversley consistently performed her duties to the best of her ability and was widely respected across the force.

Wendell Eversley, the victim’s uncle and a prominent local activist who survived being held hostage during the 1990 coup attempt in Port of Spain, has publicly called for the immediate dismissal of both the Minister of Homeland Security and the Minister of Defence over the killing. He called the attack on a police station “an indictment on the State,” noting it is the most severe incident targeting a police facility in the country since the 1990 coup bombing of the Port of Spain Police Headquarters.

Pointing to the stolen cache of guns and ammunition removed from the station’s strong room after the attack, Wendell Eversley raised alarming questions about national security. “Are we going to see another 1990? Look around and see. Are we all safe in this country?” he asked. He also questioned the government’s repeated promises to curb violent crime, noting that criminals appear to be gaining ground amid the current wave of violence.

With the ruling United National Congress approaching its first anniversary in power, Wendell Eversley questioned what the party could possibly celebrate after a sustained period of rising murder rates. “Inviting the public to come out. To come out and celebrate what? Celebrate blood flowing on the streets? Celebrating murders upon murders?” he said. In a social media video posted Monday, he added that the nation could no longer accept a daily reality of bloodshed. “It is time for the minister of Homeland Security and the minister of Defence to be fired. It is a sad day for Trinidad and Tobago, and mainly the State,” he said.

The Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS) also released an official statement confirming Eversley first enlisted in the municipal police force on July 1, 2008, and had been assigned to the San Fernando unit in her most recent posting.

“The TTMPS and its partner agencies extend sincere condolences to her relatives, friends and colleagues,” the release said.

A life-threatening medical emergency at sea ended with a successful rescue last Thursday, after a team of off-duty medical providers and Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force members stepped in to save an elderly female passenger on the fast ferry MV Buccoo Reef. The incident unfolded around 7:30 a.m., roughly one hour into the vessel’s scheduled voyage from Port of Spain to Scarborough, when the woman suddenly began experiencing severe chest pain before losing consciousness. What followed was a coordinated, race-against-time effort that has since sparked calls for mandatory first aid training for all ferry crew members.

When the emergency was first announced over the ferry’s public address system, no crew members immediately stepped forward to assist. Akiela Chance, a Defence Force officer traveling on the ferry, was the first to respond to the passenger’s side. As she recounted to the *Express* on Saturday, “I was the female soldier present, and I was the first person to step in and assist the elderly lady while others stood by. I approached her and asked what the issue was and whether she had any known medical conditions. I was told she was experiencing chest pain.”

Chance worked with another passenger to carefully move the seated woman to the floor, adjusted her clothing to ease her breathing while preserving her privacy, and immediately started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). She then instructed other bystanders to repeat the call for any medical professionals on board. A medical kit was retrieved, and 15 minutes later, Dr. Emillie Alpheus, an accident and emergency registrar at Scarborough General Hospital, arrived at the scene. Coast Guard Petty Officer Noko Baird soon joined to assist with continuing compressions before Alpheus took over lead resuscitation efforts.

Upon reaching the patient, Alpheus found the woman already unresponsive with no detectable pulse, and immediately requested an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) — a piece of life-saving equipment she was surprised to find the ferry actually carried. As Alpheus waited for the device and began chest compressions alone, a second physician, an American vacationing on the ferry who was certified in Basic Life Support, offered to take turns performing compressions, which are physically draining to administer continuously.

The team split roles: the visiting physician led chest compressions while Alpheus managed the patient’s airway, following the standard 30 compressions to two rescue breaths protocol. When the AED arrived, they delivered a defibrillation shock to the patient’s heart, then immediately resumed CPR. Mid-cycle, Alpheus detected the patient pushing against the airway device, and after completing the compression cycle, confirmed the woman had achieved Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) — meaning her heart had restarted. The elderly woman soon regained consciousness.

Following the successful revival, the captain turned the ferry back to Port of Spain, with Coast Guard vessels escorting the vessel to port. Ambulance crews were already on standby at the terminal, and immediately transferred the patient to a nearby hospital for ongoing care. As of the latest update, the woman remains hospitalized but is recovering steadily.

Alpheus, who shared that this was the second life-saving CPR effort she has led in two years, expressed gratitude for the positive outcome in an interview with the *Express*. “I just glad it was a good outcome. I am thankful for all who was around that was able to help and lend a holding hand — the other physician who was on vacation, the patient care assistant and the other members of staff from the Buccoo Reef. I am grateful that we were able to help this family. I got word from her relatives that she is doing well and from the doctors over there that she is doing better. So thankful for that and praises to God,” she said.

In an official statement issued the day of the incident, the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT) confirmed the medical emergency, activated emergency protocols, and confirmed that ambulance crews met the vessel on its return to port. The authority declined to comment on the patient’s specific medical condition per privacy guidelines.

A video of the rescue circulating on social media originally misstated the details of the incident, but the woman who recorded the video corrected the account in a public comment, clarifying that the woman suffered a potential cardiac event rather than a simple fainting spell, and that two off-duty doctors led the rescue rather than crew. She also noted that untrained crew members appeared disoriented during the emergency, writing, “They need to train boat crew in first aid. Everyone was moving like headless chicken. But God is good.”

Chance echoed that call for reform, telling the *Express* that all ferry crew members should receive formal, up-to-date first aid and emergency response training to be prepared for similar incidents at sea. Members of the public have also shared widespread wishes for the patient’s full recovery following the viral spread of the rescue video.