PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Friday said “no international law was breached” and she remains unapologetic in supporting the United States (US) in its fight against the illegal drug trade in the region.

“We remained focused against transnational organised crime and today I make no apology for standing side by side with our oldest trading partner, the leader of the free world in this hemisphere. I make no apology today and I am happy,” Persad-Bissessar said as she outlined the achievements of her administration since coming to office in April last year and the legislative agenda for 2026.

In an apparent reference to the Opposition benches, she said, “If you had some good lawyers, we have some very good ones, including the Attorney General (John Jeremie), they will tell you that there was no international law that was breached when we were taking out people…in their boats, trafficking, human trafficking, drugs, children.”

“Transnational crime, that is what we were fighting and we make no apology today,” she said to desk thumping and loud applause from the members of her government.

“Find a good lawyer because we have the legal opinions on this matter and again we make no apology for it. In any event, I remember right here in this Parliament…a member on this side (now Opposition) say what (US President Donald) Trump going to do we…Well, we now finding out what Trump did us and what they could do. They are finding out, very disrespectful,” she added.

International observers had claimed that Trumps war on drugs in the Caribbean was intended at regime change in Venezuela, and earlier this month, US military invaded the South American country, detaining its leader, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and transporting them to New York where they now face drugs-related charges.

Trump has since said Washington will “run” Venezuela.

Last October, the United Nations Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, condemned US military strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific, saying the lethal attacks violate international law and amount to “extrajudicial killing”.

Türk, calling the attacks “unacceptable”, said Washington must halt them immediately and conduct prompt, independent and transparent investigations.

President Trump has said the strikes are necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the US. Türk, while acknowledging the challenges of tackling drug trafficking, said in a statement that the circumstances for the deadly strikes “find no justification in international law”.

“Countering the serious issue of illicit trafficking of drugs across international borders is — as has long been agreed among states — a law-enforcement matter, governed by the careful limits on lethal force set out in international human rights law.”

Under law, the intentional use of lethal force “is only permissible as a last resort against individuals who pose an imminent threat to life”, he said, adding that based on “very sparse information provided publicly by the US authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose an imminent threat to lives of others”.

He called on Washington to use law enforcement methods including intercepting boats and detaining suspects, and if necessary, prosecuting individuals.

During her statement to Parliament, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar thanked her Jamaican counterpart Andrew Holness, for assisting Port of Spain as the country moves to follow Kingston and introduce zones of special operations (ZOSOs), as the country seeks to take advantage of the reduction in murders and other crimes during a state of emergency (SOE) that is expected to end this month.

Jamaica established ZOSOs under the 2017 Special Security and Community Development Measures Act, to tackle high crime in specific areas through enhanced security and community development. They are regularly extended by Parliament.

“We have spoken personally and I ask for him (Holness) to share with us what they were doing with the special zones and our Minister of Homeland Security (Roger Alexander) visited Jamaica in fact and spent time there with their police force,” Persad-Bissessar said.

She said upon Alexander’s return, discussions were held, culminating in the introduction of the ZOSO legislation, which will be debated on Friday.

“So we remain focused as a priority on safety and security.  We remain focused against transnational organised crime,” she added.