The government implemented the 48-hour emergency measures in anticipation of retaliatory shootings following an assassination attempt on a gang leader. Trinidad and Tobago, a small Caribbean nation, continues to face one of the highest per capita homicide rates globally.

Trinidad and Tobago's government granted its police the authority to conduct searches and arrests without a warrant for 48 hours, citing the increasing threat of gang violence.

According to a statement from Prime Minister Keith Rowley's office, the decision to declare a public emergency was based on advice from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to the National Security Council regarding heightened criminal activity that jeopardizes public safety. The announcement was made on Monday.

The decision followed reports from local media about an attempted assassination of a gang leader as he was leaving a police station on Saturday. Although the gang leader's identity was not disclosed, subsequent reports revealed that five men were killed in retaliation the next day.

Authorities announced plans to utilize the emergency period for an anti-gang crackdown during a press conference in Port of Spain. Defense forces would act as police officers with similar powers to conduct warrantless searches, as stated by Energy Minister Stuart Young, who also serves in the prime minister's office.

Young explained that bail would be suspended, and detention without charge would be allowed for up to two days, with the possibility of extending it to seven days if approved by a court. Despite these measures, the government assured citizens that no curfews or restrictions on movement would be imposed to mitigate economic disruption from the declaration.

Trinidad and Tobago, a nation of approximately 1.4 million people, has been grappling with persistently high homicide rates. In December alone, 61 homicides were recorded, raising the annual total for 2024 to 623, an increase from 577 in 2023 and 599 in 2022. Per capita, this positions the country among nations with the highest homicide rates, such as Haiti, South Africa, and Jamaica, with figures exceeding 40 homicides per 100,000 people annually. This contrasts sharply with rates of less than 6 per 100,000 in the United