Trinidad and Tobago: Four charged after 400kg cocaine seized in Coast Guard operation

Trinidad and Tobago: A cocaine run has been busted by Trinidad and Tobago Police Force after a Coast Guard interception off Trinidad's north-west peninsula on September 14, 2026.

Four men have been charged with trafficking more than 400 kilogrammes of cocaine during the interception.

The men charged have been identified as Jomel Jogie, 35-year-old, of San Fernando; Nicholas Dowell, 38-year-old, of St Joseph; Jordan Sutherland, 24-year-old, of Blanchisseuse; and Yorwuin Guerra, 27-year-old, a Venezuelan national.

They appeared before High Court Master Indira Chinebas on Friday, September 18, 2026, and were denied bail after the court found substantial grounds to believe they would flee if released. They were remanded into custody and are due to return to court on December 15, 2026.

According to the reports, the police noted that the Coast Guard officers intercepted a 28-foot pirogue near Patos Island on September 14, 2026. The vessel was reportedly heading towards Chacachacare Island but attempted to turn back and escape towards Venezuela once officers moved in.

Seeing the circumstances, officers fired at the pirogue's three 200-horsepower outboard engines to bring it to a stop, before escorting it to the Coast Guard's Staubles Bay headquarters.

A thorough search of the vessel was conducted which resulted in the discovery of more than 400 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden inside nine barrels. Police estimated the street value of the seizure at $204,534,528.

The incident has triggered several concerns and questions among the residents as a user commented through social media, “How can they be trafficking from Venezuela when Washington is now charged with Venezuela...What happened the seals team here & the eye in the sky…”

Another user commented, “The bust is one thing, but imagine that amount having users in our islands..this brings pain, destruction, and misery with it..$2 0 4.million..not 1mill or 10 mill 204 mill..our country would be fxxk up really bad from the amount of users getting in on this.”

Further investigations and questioning remain underway as the detainees will return to the court in December.