Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency Monday as murder rates soar in the Caribbean twin-island nation.
The isles — located just off the coast of Venezuela — issued the emergency order after a spate of recent slayings and as the government braces for reprisal shootings following the attempted assassination of a gang leader over the weekend, authorities said.
Under the emergency declaration, the government’s defense forces will now become de facto cops, and both will allowed to carry out raids without a warrant.
Bail will also be suspended for suspects under the order, officials said.
Those suspected of committing a crime can now be held for 48 hours without a charge, too, with the timeframe able to be extended another seven days by court approval, officials said.
Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s office said the intention behind the move was to “address individuals who pose a threat to public safety, particularly those involved in criminal activities and the illegal use of firearms.”
The declaration comes as Trinidad and Tobago, which have a combined population of 1.5 million, battle a record-high murder rate this year and one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The number of killings on the islands spiked to more than 620 this year alone — with organized crime linked to the majority of murders.
In the latest spate of violence, armed gunmen shot at a known gang leader as he left a police station in the poverty-stricken Laventille area Saturday, a local outlet reported.
A member of the gangbanger’s crew was killed in the ordeal, according to the outlet.
Meanwhile, in Trinidad, five men were also shot late Sunday near Port of Spain, and a 57-year-old woman was shot dead after picking up her son from a hospital in San Fernando on Friday, authorities said.
With Post wires
