Criminologist Daurius Figueira, the author of the book, Cocaine Trafficking in The Caribbean & West Africa in the Era of The Mexican cartels, says questions must be raised about a drug turf war in Enterprise, Chaguanas, as presented in the media.
Figueira said if it was a turf war over a drug block, it was the tamest and most non-violent turf war in the history of T&T where no one had been killed.
He said when there was a move afoot in T&T by one gang to take over a lucrative drug block held by another, the invading gang would attempt to seize the drug block by killing the leader in command of that block and his lieutenants.
“You don’t sneak around a track in a ravine taking some potshots and then run back,” Figueira said.
“It is concerted war that involves killing and getting rid of the leadership of the block that you want by any means necessary.
“I want to know how come the leadership on both sides are still alive.”
When it was suggested that the leaders might be heavily protected, Figueira said in a war for a drug block anybody connected to the leadership was a target, including family members, in a war of attrition.
When asked if the Enterprise troubles were compromising the country’s security, Figueira said the drug trade had compromised it since the 1960s.