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Deputy director of the Counter-Trafficking Unit (CTU) Dane-Marie Marshall with Senator Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj, right, at a CTU event commemorating World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in July at Queen's Hall, Port of Spain. FILE PHOTO - DESPITE the trauma of being snatched, a 14-year-old Venezuelan girl showed great composure and bravery in providing critical information to National Security agents which led to the arrest on Tuesday of four suspected human-traffickers in Penal.
A statement from the Ministry of Homeland Security confirmed the arrests.
Deputy Director of the Counter-Trafficking Unit (CTU) Dane-Marie Marshall, praised the teen's bravery saying during an interview with Newsday, “The execution of the evidence she provided to investigators is what led to the arrest of the suspects.”
Asked if further action could be expected in the case, she said the unit continues to investigate multiple reports and will take necessary action on each.
“Regarding this particular victim, we were able to successfully apprehend all suspects during the course of the investigation,” Marshall said. Asked if she believes the case would proceed to prosecution, she replied, “Definitely!”
Marshall said the CTU worked closely with Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Sabrina Dubdin-Chaklal, and expressed confidence that the evidence against the four is strong.
On the question of the nationality of human trafficking victims in TT, Marshall said the unit has seen cases involving individuals of all nationalities.
“Due to Trinidad and Tobago’s proximity to Venezuela and movement across the border, Venezuelan nationals may be particularly vulnerable because of geopolitical and economic challenges in their home country,” she explained.
She noted some migrants with family ties in Trinidad may be less vulnerable, but that was not always the case. Marshall stressed the importance of public co-operation in combating trafficking.
“The unit’s ability to operate relies heavily on working hand-in-hand with the public. Reporting possible scenarios is crucial,” she said.
PRE-DAWN RAID
The ministry’s release, posted to its Facebook account, confirmed the rescued girl is now under the care of the Children’s Authority. It said two Trinidadian nationals and two Venezuelan men were arrested on human-trafficking charges, while three other Venezuelans were detained for violating immigration laws.
The release said the arrests followed a co-ordinated pre-dawn operation in the Penal-Debe area conducted by the CTU in collaboration with the army and police. The exercise, code-named Operation Ironheart, began at 5 am and targeted multiple locations linked to a suspected trafficking network.
The operation received support from the TT Defence Force's Intelligence Unit, the Special Forces Operations Detachment, the TTPS Financial Investigations Branch, the Special Investigations Unit, the Special Investigations Task Force, Southern and South Western Divisional Task Forces, Crime Scene Investigation officers, and the Immigration Division.
The release noted that the arrests in Penal were the continuation of CTU activities which began with the November 10 arrest of David Daniel Barnes who had been wanted by the authorities.
During an anti-crime exercise codenamed Operation G-Ride, an illegal firearm was seized G-Ride, earlier this year and a human-trafficking ring based in Tunapuna was dismantled.
Barnes has since been charged, granted $20,000 surety bail by a Master of the High Court and is awaiting trial.
“Both operations form part of the CTU’s wider national strategy to disrupt organised trafficking networks and prosecute offenders,” the Homeland Security Ministry release said.
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander commended the agencies involved, saying, “This success demonstrates what is possible when our agencies work together with focus and resolve. The ministry remains steadfast in its mission to dismantle these criminal networks and ensure that Trinidad and Tobago is never a haven for human trafficking.”
TT DEALING WITH
HUMAN-TRAFFICKING
According to the US Department of State’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons report, Trinidad and Tobago has maintained a Tier 2 ranking. This designation means the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human-trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.
In 2024, TT was upgraded from the Tier 2 Watchlist to Tier 2, after the US State Department noted the government demonstrated overall increased efforts compared with the previous reporting period.
CTU director Allan Meiguel, speaking during a media sensitisation session hosted by the unit on September 29, said since the unit’s inception in 2013, 80 people have been charged, resulting in two convictions.
Meiguel emphasised the importance of raising awareness on human-trafficking in TT noting over 300 victims of such crimes had been recorded up to 2024.
He said victims in TT are mostly from Venezuela, Haiti, and Jamaica.
He also highlighted that the CTU operates a 24-hour hotline in English and Spanish and urged the public to call 800-4CTU if they are aware of potential victims of trafficking.
Newsday tried calling Minister Alexander and Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro for comments on November 11 but did not receive a response.
Marshal told Newsday that the unit visits schools and community groups to conduct sensitisation sessions to make people aware of possible indicators so when they see something suspicious, they can report it. "Our hotline, 100, also serves as a safe channel for communication with the Counter-Trafficking Unit.”
English (US) ·