The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has extended its sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of an infant who died and a female injured following an incident on Saturday, February 5.
Reports are that the TTS Scarborough was patrolling the south coast just before midnight when it detected an unidentified vessel that crossed the border between the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
The coast guard vessel pursued the unidentified craft, and personnel used a loud hailer, the ship’s horn, searchlight, and flares to stop the evading vessel.
Following the firing of several warning shots, the TTS Scarborough attempted to intercept the fleeing vessel, which resorted to aggressive evasive maneuvers such as ramming the pursuing ship.
The ramming effort by the unidentified vessel, which was larger than the coast guard’s boat, caused the crew of TTS Scarborough to act in self-defense, firing at the engines of the unidentified vessel to stop it.
The coast guard said it found illegal migrants onboard the unidentified vessel. Upon further examination, it was found that there was one injured female and an infant.
The woman was stabilized; however, the infant was found unresponsive. The woman was transferred to a health facility.
The remaining people on board the vessel were processed per immigration and health protocols.
The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard says it is very familiar with ramming as an evasive technique. Twice before the recent incident, past Coast Guard interceptors had been rammed by suspicious vessels resulting in a loss of the interceptor in one incident and significant damage to the hull and interior of the other interceptor in the second incident. In both incidents, the lives of the interceptor crews were put at risk since they narrowly escaped major injury and death.
Last December the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guards were accused of being involved in the death of of a group of Venezuelan nationals found near the Venezuelan coastal town of Guirial. Trinidad and Tobago’s National Security Minister Stuart Young has denied that personnel from their Coast guard had any involvement in the circumstances.
