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On September 6, Chief of Defence Staff Air Vice Marshal Darryl Daniel told the public that the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard’s larger vessels—including its two Austal Cape-class patrol vessels and six Damen Stan patrol vessels—were currently not in operation.
Daniel’s admission and subsequent explanation—that delivery parts for maintenance were impacted by shipping woes—from an agency charged with protecting the country’s borders was alarming and came at a time when the country’s streets are flooded with guns—from legal and illegal ports of entry, which has contributed to rising murders in the country.
In this Guardian Media investigation, we look at the country’s vulnerable spots, how much taxpayers have spent in a bid to keep the country’s borders safe, and whether, in fact, they have received value for the money spent.
Asha Javeed, Joshua Seemungal and Shane Superville
Guardian Media Investigations Desk
The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) now has about four functional small boats, out of 14 vessels under its charge, to patrol the country’s coastal borders, which are 452 nautical miles of coastline. The water borders, which have long proved a largely unguardable gateway for the smuggling of guns, drugs, other illicit items, and even people, a large amount being from neighbouring Venezuela in recent years (16,523 illegal Venezuelan migrants took part in a registration exercise in 2019), are often described as porous.
With reduced boats to patrol the waters, T&T’s illegal points of entry vary from 123—a figure disclosed in a Joint Select Committee (JSC) report laid in Parliament on March 1, which came from a submission from the country’s Strategic Services Agency (SSA) dated October 21, 2022—to 264—a figure disclosed by National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds six months later at a Maritime Narcotrafficking on September 10. The borders are very vulnerable.
According to the second report of the March JSC report, which was an inquiry into the safety, security, and protection of citizens, currently seven of the 14 vessels available to the TTCG are operable. “The inability to operate at full capacity stems from difficulties in procuring spares and other equipment for the remaining vessels. The Trinidad Coast Guard reported, via the Ministry of National Security, to the Committee on November 28, 2022, that four out of the eight patrol boats are operational,” the report stated.
To use the figure in the JSC report, of the country’s 132 identifiable ports—123 illegal ones and nine legal ones—if all ports are being patrolled, that works out to a ratio of one boat for 33 ports. To use Hinds’ figure of the country’s identifiable ports—264 illegal ones and nine legal ones—if all ports are being patrolled, that works out to a ratio of one boat for 66 ports.
To ascertain the regularity and frequency of patrols, Guardian Media took a four-hour excursion that began at Chaguaramas, near the Coast Guard’s Staubles Bay headquarters, two weeks ago.
Several vessels, including the TTS Port of Spain CG 41 ship, were seen at the Staubles Bay jetty, Chaguaramas. On that journey, only one Coast Guard patrol in a small Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) was sighted.
The ship did not appear to be in operation, as it remained stationary some distance away from the jetty, before reversing.
The TTCG, according to the submission to the JSC dated October 28, 2022, only seized two weapons—one SIG Sauer pistol and one shotgun, 11 rounds of ammunition, and one magazine—between the period 2018 and 2022.
The JSC report, quoting an SSA submission, also stated that while “high-powered weapons, revolvers, and pistols are coming through Venezuela via boats,” not one of those boats was intercepted by the TTCG between 2020 and 2022.
Border Vulnerability
In March, the passage of the Gulfstream, being towed by a tug, the Solo Creed into the country’s territorial waters between the islands without detection by the TTCG is a prominent example of the country’s vulnerability. It led to an environmental disaster off the Cove in Tobago, with, to date, no one being held accountable for it.
But over 15 years ago, the country’s border vulnerability was laid bare by the TTCG in its arbitration hearings between the T&T Government and BAE Systems on its failed Offshore Patrol Programme (OPV) project.
In his witness statement, Captain Mark Williams, who was the TTCG official in charge of the project in the UK, observed that T&T “is also a major transshipment point for illegal drugs to North America and Europe. Our intelligence indicated that rogue elements of the National Guard of Venezuela might have been escorting drug shipments to Trinidad. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (RFAC) also operates in our region and is known to traffic in large shipments of narcotics.
“It is important that in the context of these functions, particularly the offshore functions, the OPVs would be able to operate as a single maritime unit as well as a mother ship for accompanying assets. They needed to have considerable self-protection capability against both surface and air targets, given the types of threats that the OPVs and their accompanying assets were likely to encounter in their intended operations,” Williams added.
During his campaigning for the 2010 election, former prime minister Patrick Manning posited that the drug lords had wanted him out of power because of his goal to eradicate the drug trade.
Three months after assuming office, the People’s Partnership government cancelled the order for the three OPVs based on their missed deadlines and the weaponry on the vessels did not conform to contract specifications.
In its 2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Reports, the United States Government noted: “However, the new government has de-emphasised regional efforts and assistance programmes, including some security-related projects that would impact counter-narcotics efforts to focus greater attention on domestic issues.”
On the OPVs, the Country Report on T&T stated: “There are no plans to supplant that deep-water patrol capability in the short term.”
It said the Government “struggles to effectively coordinate and implement its drug-control assets, and maintenance issues, corruption, and gaps in the legislative framework remain challenges.”
Challenges at the TTCG
Informed sources suggest that the Coast Guard’s roster should have about four to 18 small Coast Guard craft—which consist of four interceptors, six pirogues, and eight RHIBs—to patrol the waters daily.
Guardian Media was told that only two RHIBs and two pirogues are functional as the Coast Guard’s interceptors are no longer fit for use given their age and usage over the years.
“The Coast Guard hasn’t had interceptors for over a year. The hulls of the interceptors have gone beyond their shelf life, so they put them out of service because to keep repairing them doesn’t make any sense. The last time we got interceptors was in 2012. They were rebuilt, which extended their functionality a bit, but the way they were used is beyond their service life,” a source explained.
One Coast Guard officer complained that while smaller offshore patrol boats are used in interception exercises, these assets do not offer as much coverage as the larger vessels. The RHIBs, which are deployed from larger vessels to respond to emergencies, are also limited in how many sailors can fit aboard and how long they can remain at sea before returning to base for refuelling.
A source said that one of the eight vessels awaiting upgrades—the CG 23—was expected to be operational by October. However, he said that the vessel, which recently underwent maintenance in Suriname, may not be included in operations due to a staff shortage.
He said there were not enough sailors, with most of the manpower assigned to the Coast Guard’s Staubles Bay Headquarters.
“At this time, we have just about half the crew needed to operate the ship, so even when it comes online, it won’t be able to be out on the water. The reason for the crew shortage is due to sailors being given other engagements and assignments, like for the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) or land patrols. Right now the men doing the work on the Austal vessels are on 12-hour shifts, and they even took men from this to do joint patrols, so they hardly have the technicians available,” he added.
“If vessels are down and there is a requirement for more patrols because of crime, the Government will still ask the Coast Guard for more patrols. The Government may be justified by saying there are no vessels available, but vessels need their crew.”
Boats back in 14 months
For his part, Hinds has since promised that the vessels will be back in operation within 14 months.
“Coast Guard vessels, like any other piece of equipment, require service. From time to time, there is mandatory service. Like a motor car, after every 5,000 miles, you should go get a manufacturer’s service. That is the way of the world. Vessels will always be out of service. Vessels will always be dry-docked for major works.
“I have been hearing those (comments about porous borders) for aeons, and we have already indicated that we have about 264 illegal points of entry, and being as close as Venezuela, there have always been some vulnerabilities. The impacts are devastating—not only do they fuel violence and crime within our borders, but they also strain our economies and disrupt the social cohesion of our communities. In T&T, our national security apparatus continues to face challenges in detecting and interdicting narcotics at both legitimate and illegitimate ports of entry,” he said at the Organization of American States 2024 meeting of CICAD’s Group of Experts on Maritime Narco Trafficking.
In 2019, speaking with reporters on the deck of the TTS Quinam during a patrol around Trinidad’s coast, then Commodore Don Polo admitted that the sheer volume of water surrounding the island was a challenge for sailors, especially at night when visibility was low.
“Because of the size of the area we need to be patrolling, you won’t find any vessels staying in one particular area for too long,” he had said.
Polo had said that the Coast Guard conducts about 2,000 patrols per year as they have tried to position vessels in areas that were thought to be more susceptible to smuggling than others but said it was difficult as traffickers often changed their routes, making it difficult to keep track of which areas were being used next.
Several fisherfolk reported that for years, sighting a Coast Guard patrol has been a rarity. One fisherman off the coast of Caroni, who asked to be identified only as Marcus, said he could count on one hand how many times he has seen Coast Guard vessels.
“We might see them maybe once every three months. We feel unsafe out here. I’d feel more comfortable if the Coast Guard was around. It isn’t a nice situation, and I am grateful I never had any run-ins with bandits or gunmen at sea in my years, but it’s still a serious risk to come out here after dark and fish.”
Corporate secretary of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) Gary Aboud lamented that fisherfolk remained at risk from traffickers given the low Coast Guard presence, describing traffickers as moving “willy nilly” with little resistance from the authorities. “We asked for mobile Coast Guard stations to be placed on the North Coast so we could have more of a physical presence to monitor the coming and going of vessels; we have nothing like that. The headquarters where we have a thousand Coast Guard officers doing nothing without vessels is a charade, and you see the effects on the street.”
Retired Coast Guard Lt CommodoreNorman Dindial told Guardian Media that during operations smugglers often threw illegal cargo overboard once a Coast Guard vessel was sighted.
He said this could account, in part, for the low detection rates. Dindial, who has 26 years of experience, retired in 2020. He admitted that insufficient vessels placed the Coast Guard at a disadvantage.
“If you’re entering a race and everybody else has proper shoes and you’re wearing bedroom slippers, you’re starting the race at a disadvantage. We as law enforcement need to keep abreast and ahead of the criminals, so they need proper interceptors; they need interceptors with the radar systems, interceptors that can stay out longer and have night vision,” he said.
Under the 1979 International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, T&T has a responsibility of 68,500 square nautical miles. Guardian Media sent questions to the Coast Guard’s public information officer, Lt Khadija Lamy, via email but did not receive a response up to late yesterday.
Billions Spent
Between 2007 and 2023, the State has spent at least $3.7 billion on 32 vessels for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, according to Recurrent Expenditure, Development Programme Expenditure, and Public Sector Investment Programme documents.
At least another $81.1 million was spent on maintaining vessels, while $19.3 million was expended on ‘naval assets and logistical support for the acquisition of naval assets.’
Despite the billions being spent over the last two decades on attempts to reduce unlawful importation, illegal weapons have been flooding the streets for the past decade, piling up murders not just in Trinidad but also in Tobago. As of Thursday evening, 24 people were murdered on the sister isle in 2024, while another 466 were murdered in Trinidad.
In his 2007 budget presentation, former prime minister Patrick Manning justified his government’s purchase of three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) saying, “Our intelligence tells us that large quantities of illegal drugs are being imported into Trinidad and Tobago for transshipment as well as for the domestic market. It is also clear that the vast sums of money involved in the illegal drug trade are helping to finance the importation of guns, which is contributing to the current crime wave. In these circumstances, the Government’s crime-fighting strategy includes the acquisition of a sophisticated radar system and three off-shore patrol vessels to conduct drug interdiction and anti-smuggling operations.”
But 14 years later, in November 2021–the borders still porous–Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley called on two new Naval Cape Class Patrol vessels to be used effectively to defend the country.
“You would have seen the horrendous stories about people who have been trafficked from South America and even from our own territory. You are required to discourage that. You would have seen the amount of firearms on our streets and the effect that that is having on our safety and our security. Your first line of defence is the nation’s first line of defence. These are large craft, insofar as island nations are concerned, but you carry on board the smaller craft that can chase down and that can enter the coastal zone. Make use of these facilities,” he said at Staubles Bay in Chaguaramas.
Vessels Acquired Between 2007 and 2023
* Three Offshore Patrol Vehicles (OPVs) were purchased in 2007 for $1.5 billion.
The Government took out a $2.2 billion loan from BNP Paribas and Lloyds for the financing. “The delivery of three Offshore Patrol Vessels, six fast patrol boats (armed with general-purpose machine guns and a 20mm cannon), four armed helicopters, and six interceptors by 2010 will further bolster the protection of Trinidad and Tobago’s territorial waters from the illegal drug trade. This will complement the capabilities of the already commissioned Coastal Radar Centre,” Manning said in 2009.
The PP government cancelled the contract in 2010, saying the ships arrived late and were unsuitable for the required function. BAE, the ship construction company, was ordered to pay the T&T Government $1.4 billion in settlements. However, the State lost around $1 billion overall on the deal, based on loan payments, legal fees, associated training costs and infrastructure work to accommodate the ships.
* Two vessels were acquired for TTCG for $132 million.
“In the interim, and given the urgency with which the Government requires additional maritime capacity, we have acquired two Vessels which are now being appropriately modified to discharge the mandate of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard. The price of these two vessels is $132 million,” the late Manning said in his 2008 budget speech.
*12 new specialised vessels: four coastal patrol vessels, two utility vessels and six on-board Interceptor vessels were procured for $1.4 billion under the People’s Partnership Government in 2015.
* A multi-purpose vessel, which cost $228 million, arrived in October 2015. TTS Nelson II was bought through the Chinese government, but the ship was not added to the Coast Guard fleet until August 2017. Prime Minister Rowley accused the PP government of improper procurement practices for the deal.
* Four high-speed inboard interceptors were procured in 2018 for $15.4 million.
* Two Naval Cape Class Patrol Vessels were purchased by the PNM Government in 2019 for more than $500 million; US$38.6 million each.
* Four high-speed outboard interceptor vessels were procured for $11 million in 2021. Four naval assets were given to the TTCG by the US Government in 2023. They cost around $10 million to upgrade.
Maintenance of Vessels Between 2008 and 2023
* Maintenance of six fast patrol crafts for $8.5 million in 2014
* Two coastal patrol vessels: Gaspar Grand and Chacachacare retrofitted in 2015 for $25.5 million
* Maintenance of 12 Damen Naval Assets for $15.4 million in 2017
* Maintenance of 12 Damen vessels for $1.4 million in 2018
* Maintenance of Daman Vessels for $1 million in 2019
* Logistical support and maintenance of DAMEN vessels for $0.5 million in 2020
* Acquisition and maintenance of naval assets, as well as improvement and development of bases/utilities for $17.5 million in 2021
* Maintenance of naval assets for $29.8 million in 2023
Other TTCG Costs Between 2007 and 2023
* Salaries – $4 Billion
* Uniforms: $34.5 million
* Telephones: $32.9 million
* Food – $226.6 million
* Vehicle Maintenance – $149 million
* Fuel/Lubricants – $80.3 million (2016 to 2022)
* Equipment Maintenance/Repair – $4 million Janitorial Services – $22.4 million