PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Three people, including an officer with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), have been charged with conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States (US) and firearms offences.

A statement from the United States Embassy in Trinidad on Tuesday said that on December 30 last year, three provisional arrest warrants were served on Trinidadians Rafael Joseph, Michael McSween, and Clevon Persad.

Joseph has been identified as “an active duty officer with the TTPS, with the embassy saying that all three are charged in the eastern district of New York for conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and firearms offences stemming from a 2024 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation.

The embassy said that personnel from the DEA Vetted Unit, supported by the TTPS’s Special Investigative Unit (SIU) and the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), successfully executed the warrants.

“This was a great example of bilateral cooperation between our two countries and a significant blow to not only drug and firearms trafficking, but also against public corruption with the arrest of the police officer,” said US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Dr Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz.

“The outstanding cooperation between the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Vetted Unit and SIU and TOCU shows the multiplier power of agencies of both of our great countries working together,” she added.

Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro said, “I can confirm that close collaboration with United States law enforcement authorities has resulted in the successful arrest of a TTPS member who is now awaiting deportation.

“This joint operation reflects the strength of our international partnerships and our unwavering commitment to accountability at every level of the organisation. The TTPS remains resolute in upholding the highest standards of integrity, and we will continue to work with our global counterparts to ensure that anyone who betrays the public trust is brought to justice,” he added.

The DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge, Michael Miranda, said the operation reflects the strength of true bilateral partnership.

“The successful execution of these provisional arrest warrants…sends a clear message: no one is above the law. Together, we are not only dismantling drug and firearms trafficking networks, but also confronting public corruption head-on. When trusted partnerships stand united, our communities are safer and justice prevails,” Miranda added.