Attorney General John Jeremie has emphatically stated that the Government will not surrender to criminal gangs.
In a statement on Tuesday, hours after a State of Emergency was declared in Trinidad and Tobago, he reminded the public that when the last SOE ended on January 31st, the Prime Minister had expressed her resolve to monitor the activities of criminal gangs and to act in the best interests of citizens to curb lawlessness.
Detailing the events leading to the latest declaration on Tuesday, AG Jeremie said the National Security Council had met on Monday after receiving a briefing from the Commissioner of Police.
“The Council was advised that over the last several days, a number of violent criminal activities have taken place in the full gaze of a horrified population, I might add, most of which have been carried out by members of organised criminal gangs. We were further advised that criminal gangs had increased acts of violence on a scale so extensive that they have resulted in multiple deaths, in mass shootings, and that that pattern of behavior was set to continue. The Prime Minister and the National Security Council had no choice. We immediately determined to advise Her Excellency, as I have said, that a State of Public Emergency existed in Trinidad and Tobago.”
AG Jeremie also disclosed that fresh intelligence prompted immediate action.
“Last night, upon learning of threatened further violent actions and planned reprisal killings by gang members, the Prime Minister triggered the provisions of the Constitution and asked Her Excellency the President to declare a State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago. The proclamation was signed by Her Excellency and a State of Emergency came into effect at 12.01 this morning. This government has demonstrated a clear, decisive, zero-tolerance approach to gang-related crime.”
AG Jeremie stressed that the Government will not allow a return to previous levels of violence.
“This government is determined to never allow this country to deteriorate into the state of chaos and bloodshed which we met in May of 2025 when we took office. We shall never accept this slow, dangerous surrender to the criminal gangs in our midst. There are examples in the region of territories that have allowed that. Trinidad and Tobago’s fate will be different.”
The Attorney General recalled that the previous State of Emergency was declared in July 2025 after threats emerged from within the prison system. He noted that from July 2025 to January 2026, the Police Service and Defence Force conducted a number of operations and isolated certain gang leaders from the gangs and enterprises that they control – measures he said had a tremendous impact.
He said under the conditions of the State of Emergency, the TTPS and the armed forces will continue their work.
“From the very early hours of this morning strategic operations have commenced by the Protective Services. These will continue in an intelligence-led, targeted and deliberate manner until these threats to public safety are eliminated. We take this initial approach while concurrently putting various other measures in place that would constitute a longer-term, sustainable approach to maintaining order, peace and safety in our society.”
The AG assured that officials will continue to inform the public of various initiatives and operations taking place during this State of Emergency “as appropriate.”