Attorney General John Jeremie says the United States military is expected to intensify exercises in T&T.He made the comment to the UK’s Financial Times publication. The article was shared yesterday.
In the article, Attorney General Jeremie is quoted as saying that the US 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) would intensify exercises “in the coming days.”
The MEU came to this country along with the USS Gravely, a warship, which was docked at the Port of Port-of-Spain from October 26 to 31.
The purpose of the visit was for joint military training with the Defence Force.
However, the Attorney General told the Financial Times, “We are engaged with our friends in the north in a series of exercises.”
According to the article, Jeremie did not say if the exercises had already started and offered no explanation as to what type of exercises were being conducted.
But while he did not reveal details about the exercises, Jeremie noted, “We have a problem with gangs, drugs and criminal activity, including gang-related homicides and so on, and those things are directly linked to the flow of drugs and ammunition from Venezuela,” and was “comfortable” with an ally providing assistance.
Guardian Media sent questions to Defence Minister Wayne Sturge via WhatsApp yesterday on the matter, but there was no response.
Meanwhile, Las Cuevas fishermen and residents called on the authorities to confirm whether or not US military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones are being flown in T&T airspace over the North Coast, as residents claim to have seen lights belonging to drones several nights over the past two weeks.
One resident, David Noriega, said while he could not confirm whether the drones were military in origin, the devices were visible from his vantage point. He said such sightings were unsettling, especially given recent reports of military activities in the southern Caribbean.
“When I walking the streets at night, I see them flying all over the place.
“I’ve seen them, many times before; they come and go as far as Maracas. I don’t know their purpose or what they’ve been doing, but it’s definitely a drone.”
