Dear Editor: It’s disturbing that PM cheers on US claim of extrajudicial killing

“[…] The fact that our Prime Minister would openly applaud extrajudicial killings as a solution to drug trafficking was troubling to say the least. By cheering on violence outside the rule of law, she plants a creeping poison in the heart of our democracy.

“[…] President Donald Trump said the strike was a bold anti‑drug move. But what price do we pay when the law is set aside, when individuals are ‘taken out’ without trial or transparency? […]”

The following Letter to the Editor on the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s response to the US Government’s claim of killing 11 alleged Venezuelan drug dealers in international waters was submitted to Wired868 by Osei Benn of D’Abadie:

I was extremely concerned reading recently that the Honourable Prime Minister had issued a statement in response to the American bombing of a ship suspected of shipping drugs out of Venezuela by stating she has “no sympathy for traffickers” and that the US military should “kill them all violently”.

The fact that our Prime Minister would openly applaud extrajudicial killings as a solution to drug trafficking was troubling to say the least. By cheering on violence outside the rule of law, she plants a creeping poison in the heart of our democracy.

The strike in international waters on 2 September 2025 by US forces against what was described as a Venezuelan-origin drug vessel, allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, killed 11 individuals.

President Donald Trump said the strike was a bold anti‑drug move. But what price do we pay when the law is set aside, when individuals are “taken out” without trial or transparency?

Our legal system exists to temper fear, to ensure justice is measured. To champion what essentially boils down to murder—even in the face of repugnant crimes—is to open a perilous path.

What’s more, we should encourage caution regarding the US naval buildup in the Caribbean and the corresponding aggressive rhetoric. What has begun as a “counter‑narcotics” mission risks turning into a wider geopolitical conflict.

It’s highly likely that the US will use the excuse of drug enforcement as a pretext for broader intervention.

Trinidad and Tobago is at a crossroads. Let us not cheer for shortcuts that erode justice. Instead, demand proper interdiction, fair trials, transparency, and regional cooperation.

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