The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has launched an extensive search and rescue operation off the country’s north-western peninsula following a collision between two vessels on Sunday evening.

According to an official media release issued by the Coast Guard, several individuals remain unaccounted for as emergency personnel continue their search. Emergency crews were dispatched immediately following the maritime crash to locate the missing passengers and evaluate conditions at the scene.

A number of survivors have been brought to safety, with several sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Coast Guard personnel provided initial treatment before evacuating the injured by TTCG ambulance to a medical facility for further treatment.

The ongoing search effort is receiving joint tactical support from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Air Support Unit, which is providing aerial reconnaissance over the search zone to help locate those still missing at sea.

The Coast Guard stated that it remains fully committed to maritime safety and security, maintaining that it will continue working alongside partner agencies to safeguard lives in national waters.

Trinidad and Tobago’s economy contracted in 2025 amidst mounting public debt and worsening household financial pressure, according to the Central Bank’s latest Financial Stability Report. The central bank highlighted a challenging economic backdrop characterized by persistent uncertainty, even as the nation’s broader financial sector managed to maintain structural resilience.

Official figures from the report reveal that gross domestic product declined by 0.5 percent over the course of 2025. Although the energy sector posted a modest increase in production, it was insufficient to offset sluggish performance across non-energy industries. Key drivers of the contraction included significant downturns in both the construction and trade sectors, reflecting broader economic drag across non-resource commercial activities.

Compounding the economic contraction, government debt continued its upward trajectory, reaching TT$146.9 billion by the end of 2025. This debt load now stands at approximately 84 percent of the country’s total gross domestic product, signaling heightened fiscal exposure for the sovereign.

The central bank expressed explicit concern regarding the financial health of domestic households, noting a notable rise in credit card borrowing and an increase in non-performing consumer loans. As economic uncertainty lingers, borrowing reliance has expanded, escalating overall vulnerability among household balance sheets across the twin-island republic.

In its systemic evaluation, the central bank categorized the country’s financial stability risks as moderate to elevated, pinpointing four major threat vectors: elevated public debt levels, cyber and operational threats, liquidity pressures, and mounting household indebtedness.

Despite these compounding headwinds, the report provided reassurance regarding the core financial system. Trinidad and Tobago’s banking sector has remained resilient throughout the downturn, supported by robust capital positions and sustained profitability among commercial institutions.

Looking ahead, the central bank warned that external economic shocks, rising global commodity prices, and deep domestic exposure to sovereign debt could create further strain. Emphasizing the need for ongoing policy caution, financial authorities urged market participants and regulators to maintain strict vigilance in navigating the uncertain economic landscape.

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) will host the 28^th Sir Arthur Lewis Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, 11 November, at the Sir Cecil Jacobs Auditorium, ECCB Headquarters, Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis.

The lecture, themed “Competition, Regulation and the Cost-of-Living Problem”, comes at a time when the affordability of goods and services remains an important concern for households and businesses globally and across the Caribbean.

The featured lecturer is Professor Emeritus of Economics at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Andrew S Downes, PhD. A distinguished economist and public policy adviser, Professor Downes has authored more than 100 scholarly articles and held several senior positions at UWI, including Pro Vice-Chancellor for Planning and Development. His expertise spans development, labour, and organisational economics. As a former Chairman of the CARICOM Competition Commission, he also brings extensive experience in competition policy and regulation.

Professor Downes’ academic background also reflects the enduring influence of Sir Arthur Lewis, the Saint Lucian economist and 1979 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences. Sir Arthur was the first Vice-Chancellor of UWI, where Professor Downes studied development planning under his guidance at the Cave Hill Campus. Both economists also have ties to the University of Manchester.

Sir Arthur became Britain’s first Black professor while at the university, where Professor Downes earned his PhD in Economics. Professor Downes’ doctoral research focused on Sir Arthur’s work on industrial development in the Caribbean. He has also written biographies about Sir Arthur’s life and work.

The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Professor Downes and
Ms Carissa Rodulfo, an Attorney-at-Law and final-year PhD candidate in Competition Law at the University of Cambridge. Her research examines how competition laws can be adapted to the circumstances of small island developing states, particularly in the Caribbean.

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In July 2026, Ms Rodulfo was appointed amicus curiae (friend of the court) by the Caribbean Court of Justice. In this role, she provided independent legal expertise on competition provisions under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which provides the framework for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Director, Research, Statistics and Data Analytics Department (RSDAD), ECCB, Dr Dalano DaSouza, will moderate the panel discussion. 

Introduced in November 1996, the annual Sir Arthur Lewis Memorial Lecture honours the legacy of Sir Arthur Lewis, the Saint Lucian-born Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences (1979), whose pioneering contributions to development economics and Caribbean regional integration continue to influence economic thought and policy. The Lecture provides a platform for examining pressing economic issues, sharing research, and encouraging informed dialogue on the region’s development.

The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be livestreamed on the ECCB Connects YouTube Channel and the ECCB Connects Facebook Page. Selected radio and television stations in the ECCB member countries will also broadcast the event.

The ECCB invites members of the public across the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) and beyond to tune in and be part of this important conversation on competition, regulation, and the cost of living.

ICE nabs more Caribbean nationals for allegedly voting illegally

A total of 239 individuals have been charged with voting-related offenses since the current United States administration took office, including 195 immigrants prosecuted across 25 states over the past nine weeks and 63 individuals indicted in the most recent nationwide enforcement wave that specifically targets noncitizens from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Haiti, Barbados, Bermuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Dominican Republic.

Federal law enforcement authorities confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Justice expanded their joint initiative to detect, arrest, and prosecute foreign nationals suspected of registering to vote or casting ballots in U.S. federal elections. The multi-state sweep represents one of the most extensive federal operations directed at noncitizen electoral participation in recent history, drawing widespread attention across the Caribbean and international diplomatic communities.

Among the specific cases detailed by federal prosecutors is that of Antonio Mitchell, a 54-year-old Jamaican national and lawful permanent resident residing in the United States. Federal court filings allege that Mitchell illegally cast ballots in multiple U.S. federal elections spanning from 2000 through 2022, and subsequently made false statements on his U.S. citizenship application in 2025 by denying any prior voter registration or voting history. Authorities also placed Kadian Hohnson, another Jamaican national, into custody under allegations of illegally voting in the 2024 general election.

Additionally, ICE enforcement operations led to charges against Sade Shashauna Guppy, a national of Trinidad and Tobago accused of casting an illegal ballot in 2022; Andres Garcia, a Cuban national charged with voting as a noncitizen; and Sirena Prosper, a Haitian national cited for allegedly voting without authorization during the 2024 election cycle.

Federal authorities emphasized that election integrity enforcement remains a top operational priority across all law enforcement divisions. ICE Assistant Director of Public Affairs Micah Bock underscored the strict legal standard governing American ballots, stating that voting in U.S. elections is a fundamental right strictly reserved for eligible voters and warning that individuals who knowingly violate federal election laws face serious consequences.

Concurrently, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute alleged voter fraud and fraudulent voter registration as part of broader institutional efforts to strengthen confidence in the electoral system.

Under U.S. federal statute, noncitizens—including lawful permanent residents—are generally prohibited from voting in federal elections. Federal prosecutors noted that the extensive investigations remain ongoing across multiple jurisdictions, while reminding the public that all allegations and criminal charges detailed in the enforcement actions have not been established in court and those charged maintain the presumption of innocence.