Two Maracas men killed in shootout with police

Two men were shot and killed during a major police operation in El Luengo Village, Maracas, on Monday morning.

They have been identified as Junior Pereira and Mudada Cyrus, alias "Fire."

At approximately 5 am, police said, Cyrus and Pereira shot at officers during a police raid on a home in El Luengo. The police fired back and both Cyrus and Pereira died at the scene.

The team of officers, led by Snr Supt Richard Smith, said they recovered two pistols.

The police exercise also saw eight people, ranging in age from 20-47, being arrested at the premises for larceny and other related offences. One woman was among those arrested.

Several divisions were involved in Monday's operation in Maracas, which included approximately 100 officers. The Special Branch, Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Multi Operations Section and officers from the North Central Division were all part of the exercise. Smith told Newsday this formed part of an ongoing operation in Maracas.

During the exercise, Smith said, over 25,000 marijuana trees were destroyed. He hopes this will put a dent in the illegal activity he said has been happening in Maracas.

Tension filled the air when Newsday visited the El Luengo area before noon on Monday, with residents lining the streets and a visible police presence. The residents opted not to speak to the media.

A total of eight murders were recorded across Trinidad and Tobago over the weekend, with Tobago's tenth murder for the year taking plce on Sunday.

Over 30 people were arrested in various police exercises over the weekend.