By FRANCIS JOSEPH
The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has been busy for the past two weeks.
From searching for bodies from the sunken MV Barima off Guyana, to the search for six persons including four Trinidadians off Suriname, to the capsized pirogue off Iros, to the search for a missing Venezuelan woman off Icacos on Saturday night.
The Coast Guard also intercepted a pirogue on Monday morning with two Venezuelans with 252 bales of marijuana off Trinidad’s south coast.
On Tuesday morning, the Coast Guard intercepted a pirogue carrying seven Venezuelan nationals during a routine maritime patrol off the country’s north-western coastline.
The interception took place in the early hours of Tuesday near Monos Island, where Coast Guard personnel stopped the vessel as part of ongoing border security operations.
According to reports, the occupants comprised four adult men, one adult woman and two minors, all believed to be Venezuelan nationals.
A search of the pirogue resulted in the discovery of assorted food items and other provisions. No other items were reported to have been found during the operation.
Following the interception, the vessel and its occupants were handed over to the Police and Immigration authorities for processing in accordance with the laws of Trinidad and Tobago.
Information reaching Sunshine Today revealed that the Venezuelans were heading for Trinidad where they would have been deemed to be illegal immigrants.
The Coast Guard said the operation forms part of its continued efforts to safeguard the country’s maritime borders and support inter-agency operations aimed at combating illegal maritime activity and unauthorized entry into Trinidad and Tobago.
