- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Aujourd'hui 04:09

[UPDATED] TTPS help DEA in $175m cocaine bust

THREE FOREIGN suspects, held in connection with an estimated $175 million (US$25 million) cocaine bust in Portugal that originated from TT, have been placed in protective custody, according to the Public Prosecutors Office in Portugal. News of the significant drug bust was shared in a media release by the US Embassy on June 23, and highlighted a joint operation by US DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) agents in four countries – TT, Portugal, Denmark and Spain – as well as officers assigned to the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), a vetted police unit operating out of the Ministry of Homeland Security, other officers who were part of a DEA training programme under the Vetted Unit of the TTPS and the Seaport Cooperation Project (Seacop). The latter is a collaborative initiative with the European Union to fight illicit maritime trafficking. “This is a major win for the United States and Trinidad and Tobago in our security co-operation to stop the illicit narcotics trade and protect our borders to make our communities safer," US Chargé d’Affaires Dr Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said in the release. “I commend our local DEA agents, officers from the TTPS Vetted Unit and TOCU for their diligence and professionalism. The United States will continue to support TT law enforcement agencies to address common challenges through continuous co-operation, training, and resources.” PRAISE FROM TOP COP In an immediate response, Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro told Newsday on Tuesday evening, "This successful interdiction reflects the ongoing strength and strategic depth of our partnership with United States law enforcement agencies." [caption id="attachment_1162724" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Some of the bales of cocaine seized in Portugal on June 14. TT law enforcement co-operated with the US Embassy, the US DEA and other international partners to lead to the seizure of the narcotics and arrest of three people in Portugal. PHOTO COURTESY US EMBASSY -[/caption] He added that through sustained collaboration, intelligence-sharing and joint operational planning, "we are disrupting the transnational criminal networks that threaten regional and global security." Guevarro, who led a walkabout at Piarco International Airport earlier on Monday for the launch of police tactical and canine units specifically for the airport, told Newsday that the TTPS remained unwavering in its commitment to international co-operation as demonstrated by this drug interdiction, which he added, demonstrates what can be achieved when jurisdictions work in close alignment. "We commend the efforts of our US counterparts and reaffirm our shared resolve to combat organised crime and protect our citizens from its far-reaching impacts," the newly minted top cop said. On June 23, the Public Prosecutors Office in Portugal disclosed the arrest of the three suspects which took place on June 14 aboard an 11-metre yacht off the Azores archipelago, in the north Atlantic Ocean that had more than 1.5 tonnes of cocaine on board. The joint operation was codenamed "Operation Vikings" and had been targeted during a two-year investigation, the US Embassy said. "The seizure represents the success in TT law enforcement efforts to focus on transnational drug trafficking that uses the Caribbean as a base of operations," the release said. There was no immediate response to questions sent by Newsday on Tuesday to DEA agents based in TT and the regional office in Puerto Rico seeking further information up to press time. In November, the DEA, through Denise Foster, special agent in charge of the DEA's Caribbean Division, and the Ministry of National Security (now homeland security), signed a memorandum of understanding to help vet local police officers to be part of a special police task force to receive confidential information and intelligence in an effort to dismantle transnational crime. The vetted unit was set up because of trust issues US agencies had with local police. One of the suspects is from Ireland and the others are from Denmark. According to a report in the Irish Sun on June 23, the suspects, aged between 51 and 43, who have "a history linked to drug trafficking" appeared before the Ponta Delgada Court and were all remanded in "protected custody" as there was risk that they would flee, disrupt the investigation, and continue engaging in criminal activity, if released from custody. They were charged with aggravated international drug trafficking and criminal association and were remanded at Sao Miguel Prison in the Azores capital Ponta Delgada, following their first court appearance on June 20. OPERATION VIKINGS In a statement, the Portuguese police force said: “With the support of the Portuguese Navy, we launched an operation to combat international drug trafficking by sea. “A sailing boat around 11 metres long was intercepted off the western group of the Azores archipelago as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean between South America and Europe with around 1,660 kg of cocaine on board. “Operation Vikings is the result of a complex investigation that has taken place over the last two years, aimed at dismantling an international criminal organisation with transcontinental operations specialising in bringing large quantities of cocaine to the European continent and using our country as a platform to this end. [caption id="attachment_1162723" align="alignnone" width="1024"] COCAINE YACHT: This yacht which left TT with over 1.5 kilos of cocaine, was intercepted in Portugal on June 14. - Photo courtesy Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics) [/caption] “Due to poor safety and seaworthiness conditions the three crew members of the sailboat, who have since been arrested by the PJ (Policia Juidiciaria – Judicial Police), were taken along with the narcotics to a ship belonging to the Portuguese Navy which deployed a wide range of resources involving more than 50 military personnel. The Judicial Police added in its statement: “Given the complexity of the operation, the Portuguese Air Force, the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre-Narcotics (MAOC-N), the Ponta Delgada Maritime Police and the Ponta Delgada Port Authority all took part in the investigation. “Likewise, given the nationality of the suspects and the geographical dispersion of their activities, the assistance provided by foreign counterparts in the context of international police co-operation, in particular the Spanish National Police, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Danish National Special Crimes Unit (NSK Danish Police) and the French and Irish authorities, was also relevant. “As part of a parallel investigation in Spain targeting the same criminal organisation, the Spanish National Police through its elite organised crime-fighting Greco Costa del Sol unit and acting in conjunction with Portuguese police, arrested a man believed to be the leader of the organisation. He is believed to be Danish, according to an online newspaper report from the Irish Sun. “Officers seized €63,000 (TT$500,000) in cash, a GPS device, a Taser gun, numerous pieces of computer and communications equipment, some of which was encrypted, as well as an unspecified amount of foreign currency from his home.” That operation took place in Costa del Sol in the southern coast of Spain, a haven for mafia bosses and their henchmen. None of the four suspects held on the boat and during the mainland Spain raid have been named. In March, TTPS and DEA agents seized 182.24 kilos of cocaine worth an estimated $254 million, in a vessel which left TT for St Martin. Five crew members were arrested. In May 2023, the DEA and the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service assisted the TTPS and TOCU in arresting three Trinis, seizing a Glock pistol and approximately 168 kilos of cocaine worth over $234 million. Editor's Note: This is an update to an earlier story published online can be read via the following link: https://newsday.co.tt/2025/06/24/us25m-cocaine-seized-in-portugal-in-us-trinidad-and-tobago-joint-operation/   The post [UPDATED] TTPS help DEA in $175m cocaine bust appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.