Jason GonzalezMs.hudspeth English 129 January 2018 Current issue in Trinidad : Drugs and corruptionJuly 27, 1990 the terrorist group named the coup attacked and overthrew the Trinidad government(“Snoek,Otto”). The coups reign lasted two years before they were arrested for their actions. This attack destabilize Trinidad’s government and made it vulnerable to many people to seize power. Crime bosses, corrupt government officials, and business leaders have took it upon themselves to take that power and grow their wallets through illegal ways.

Because of this, drugs and guns have flooded Trinidad and the young men of trinidad are killing each other off for it. The murder rate jumps to an all time high almost every year. These gangs in trinidad have no respect for the law. Most of the time these groups operate under powerful wealthy men of trinidad that are seen by the public to have a positively motivated agenda .There is no bigger export of drugs coming out of any country then Trinidad(“Archibold,Randal C.”).

All the money in trinidad can be lead back to drugs .After decades the country has still not been able to take back total control of its own government. In order for Trinidad to solve its ongoing problems with drugs and corruption, it needs to bring in allies to help fight the problem and corruption. The ongoing problem with drugs has led to the destruction of trinidad’s government. The main reason to why it is so difficult for trinidad’s government to stabilize and regain control over itself is because the amount of money there is to be made off narcotics in that area. Every month tons of drugs like cocaine, marijuana, pharmaceuticals, heroin are sent to trinidad from venezuela(“DEA / Caribbean Region,”) . It is then sent to trinidad as a halfway point until it reaches America so it can be sold(“Snoek,Otto”).

While the drugs are in trinidad organized gangs are put in place to protect it and foresee that the product reaches its destination. Usually there are law enforcement authorities being bribed so that there are no issues.(“Snoek,Otto”) With each passing year more and more drugs start flowing through Trinidad and greedy, money hungry people take power because of their grip on the drug trade. That has led to the Governments grasp on power to fade and not mean much. The people of  trinidad have even accepted the help of these community leaders which are really just wealthy drug dealers(“Snoek,Otto”).

For example these community leaders offer construction jobs, food, housing and host special event to the public. This makes the people of trinidad to side with the drug dealers more because they have offered more help than their government. With trinidad being the largest export of drugs in the world it is hard to see a future where trinidad is thriving economically. With true government stability and clean legal money in its citizens pockets.

Jobs where its citizens can faithfully put their back against and not worry about having to be affiliated with the drug trade. For now the road to recovery looks long for trinidad. Corrupted officials and powerful business leaders are the individuals who run trinidad’s illegal narcotics business. These people are also known as the big fish. They do not publicly associate themselves with narcotics and gangs or anything of that nature. Their usually people who are seen as positively motivated individuals in the eyes of the public or have ties extremely high within the states structure were they are untouchable .

In fact they are the ones who run the inner workings of the drug trade in trinidad . The drug shipments starts in venezuela by drug dealers that are partnered with these big fish. These drugs are packaged, sealed and put on a boat .

They are then shipped off across the ocean and transported over to the carribeans but mainly trinidad because of its poorly covered borders and easy accessible routes to other countries that have a high demand in the drug market . While the narcotics sit in trinidad as a pit stop so they can be redistributed to different routes. Gangs are hired to do the groundwork  while the big fish sit back and wait to turn their profit. After the drugs are redistributed they are then shipped off to countries like america, europe, canada. Around fifty percent of the narcotics make it past the coast guard and borders.

The other half is seized and destroyed. This still does not stop the flow of drugs being sold and distributed because of the sheer amount of money to be made. The big fish of trinidad will just continue to find new creative ways to bypass law enforcement and ship off more amounts of narcotics. As long as they hold power and are not exposed to the public about their illegal activities, it looks like their business will be impossible to crack down. Small gangs that run quadrants of trinidad carry out the dirty of the big fish, that cause trinidad’s young men to be at war with themselves.

Trinidad is split up into five quadrants each one ran by a local gang. These quadrants have borders that other gangs are not allowed to cross. Otherwise if they do, it usually ends in bloodshed.

These gangs leaders supply their own quadrants gang members with drugs, guns, money. With all these materials they commit crimes against other gangs like murder, steal, kidnap. In hopes to gain more power over territory. The reason why these gangs are able to do what they do is because above the gang leader is a powerful person within the government and business world of trinidad allowing this to happen. They are controlled to do whatever is required of them so that these corrupted powerful people can stay in power and gain more of it.

When drugs need to be shipped off or people need to be silenced. These gangs do the work.(DEA / Caribbean Region,) The murder rate in trinidad has skyrocketed in trinidad(“Snoek,Otto”). It use to be below 100 in 1990 but since the coups attack left the government vulnerable. More and more gangs are on the rise looking for power.

These gangs are willing to work under the nose of these big fish. Most of the time these gangs fall apart and their leaders die . Although there is always someone next in line to take position and continue this corruption within trinidad.(“Snoek,Otto”) There are policies put in place for trinidad to put in end to the drug trade and corruption.

There is a curfew set up in trinidad meaning there should not be any citizens roaming the streets during restricted hours.(“Archibold,Randal C.”) Nine o’clock in the evening to five in the morning.

At this time police officials are usually roaming the streets enforcing this law. Most of the time you would never see two officers alone enforcing this, it takes about six to seven men to do this because of the amount of danger there is in trinidad. Although there are not many people on the streets during curfew hours gangs still manage to conduct their illegal business including murdering others(“Trinidad and Tobago.”). The curfew set in trinidad is a good idea but it looks like it hasn’t done much to decrease the crime rate which is the reason why is the policy was made.

Almost every young male in trinidad is part of a gang. They reside in their own certain territories. They associate only with other fellow gang members. Joining a gang in trinidad comes with a risk because of a law put in place. The Anti Gang Act of 2011 prohibits any kind of gang affiliation(“Archibold,Randal C.”). A zero tolerance for gangs, and if your seen to be associated with one, that could carry a sentence of twenty years for being in one. Carrying a firearm, tagging, or selling drugs can all fall under gang activity.

A integrity cleansing system bill has also been proposed to trinidad’s parliament. Meaning any law enforcement or government officials whose lifestyles and networth are questionable are subjected to get inspected with good judgement(“Trinidad and Tobago.”).

But this bill has yet to be passed and has a great chance of not making it because of the risk it cause to corrupted officials. The only way I see trinidad overcome its huge issues. Is for them to ask for more aggressive help from an allie country like america for example.

They need a stable structure that they can trust to help their government fight off the the evil people the operate with violence in trinidad it would not be the first time for america to help a country in need to crackdown on their drug trade. America once assisted the country of colombia to dismantle the strongest cartel to have ever existed. Trinidad’s drug and corruption is not as bad comparing it to columbia statistics. Trinidad can no longer handle their issues on their own they need to stop and look for help or the way things continue to progress trinidad will turn into a narco state completely ran by drugs and corruption.