US anti-drug operations sparks fear among Caribbean fishermen after deadly strike: Video
Caribbean fishermen say they are living in fear as United States military operations targeting drug trafficking in the region escalate, following a deadly strike off Venezuela’s coast and the recent docking of a US warship in Trinidad and Tobago.
Between October 26 and 30, footage captured a US Navy destroyer USS Gravely closely observing fishing vessels off Cuevas Beach in northern Trinidad. The warship, accompanied by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in Port of Spain on October 26 as part of ongoing US anti-narcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea.
Fishermen in Las Cuevas say the heightened military presence is intimidating and dangerous. “I feel terrified, very terrified, knowing that anything can happen,” Karl Hernandez, a local fisherman, told Viory.
Their concerns rose after an October 14 airstrike by a US military aircraft killed six people aboard a small vessel in international waters near Venezuela’s Sucre region. Among the victims were Trinidadian nationals Chad "Charpo" Joseph and Rishi Samaroo. The US claims the boat was part of a drug trafficking network.
However, families in Las Cuevas insist the men were returning home from a fishing trip and accuse the US of carrying out extrajudicial killings. “He could be whatever, but he is still my grandson,” said Christine Clement, grandmother of Chad Joseph. “For me, nothing would matter. That cannot bring life back. It would only show the world what is happening.”
Despite local outrage, Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar publicly backed the US operation.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
