More boats, fishermen taken by Venezuela’s Guardia Nacional

SINCE Marvin Farria’s narrow escape from death one week ago, four more vessels from the Icacos area have been seized and an unknown number of Trinidadians detained by the Venezuelan Guardia Nacional.

Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh yesterday confirmed the seizure, but said he has very little details.

He said what he has been told is that like Farria, the four vessels were also in Trinidad waters when they were intercepted by the Guardia Nacional and taken to Venezuela after fishermen did not have money to pay a release fee.

Teelucksingh said they are continuing to monitor the situation but noted that the Venezuelans have become more emboldened and are constantly harassing local fishermen in TT’s maritime waters.

Farria, 32, said he and his three-member crew were shot at by the Venezuelan police while fishing near Trinmar platform 13. He said bullets hit his boat engine, but by some miracle, he and the other men managed to escape and return to shore.

Teelucksingh said while there are people involved in drug running and other contraband operations in the South West peninsula, there are genuine fishermen who are coming under attack and no one is willing to help them.

He alleged that there was some rogue elements in the Coast Guard outfit at Cedros and because of this fishermen are afraid to report untoward incidents at sea to the Coast Guard.

He said calls to the Minister of National Security Stuart Young and the area’s MP Edmund Dillon, to get some kind of protection for fisherfolk, have gone unanswered.

“Under the circumstances, fishermen continue to take the risk, going out to sea to earn a living.” On Monday night, Teelucksingh said, he met with fisherfolk from Icacos and intends to meet with those in Cedros and Fullarton in the coming days to explore options.