An situation is playing itself out in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where both in opposition and in government, the governing United National Congress (UNC) had accused the main opposition People’s National Congress (PNM) of protecting its upper class and wealthy financiers even though law enforcement agencies had allegedly long suspected them of financing criminal gangs and for engaging in international organized crime.

And now that it is government again, the UNC has made it clear that it is setting its sights on dismantling the power, influence, and political connections of the country’s Syrian/Lebanese community, naming some of its members as financiers of violent, felony crimes, especially in Trinidad. Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar says this group in the top 1% of society “are all subject to the laws of Trinidad and Tobago and will be treated accordingly by the justice system,” as local police carried out raids on several high-priced homes in the west of the capital, arresting several members of this clan this week. Additional arrests and stress have been promised for the so-called "1% community."

Authorities say they are using powers under the latest state of emergency act to conduct searches of homes and to make the arrests. In one case, Security Minister Roger Alexander signed an order back in April that led to the arrest of “community” family member Natalie Harford, accusing her of being a financier of some of the 186 known criminal gangs operating in the country. She remains in detention, a full two months after her arrest.

“The detainee provides cash support to fund the operations of the organized crime group, which intends to imminently carry out reprisal attacks on rivals in public spaces using high-powered rifles. The detainee has also issued threats to direct known members of the OCG to attack her personal targets, including private citizens and police officers. Her detention is necessary to disrupt these planned acts of violence and to prevent the destabilization of public order,” Alexander said in documents linked to her arrest and detention.

And speaking in parliament recently, Attorney General John Jeremie argued that the government is on solid legal grounds as it pursues criminal elements in that community. He told fellow lawmakers in parliament that the US has already cancelled the entry visas of several members of this group, noting that several of them have visited his office to complain about visa revocation in recent months.

“We all know that our American friends have sophisticated means of intelligence gathering. They appear now to have determined that certain individuals should not, as a result of their activities, be travelling to the US. They have taken action to ensure that that does not happen,” he said.

Zooming in on the group, the AG said that the Syrian/Lebanese community had had the protection of the PNM while it was in government and had been financed to a large extent by its members. “They funded the PNM. They were revered by the PNM. They have taken over the PNM. Those opposites are their ready, happy, and willing pawns,” he said. “We say those days are behind us. If you behave as gang members do you shall be treated in the same way as blue collar gang members are. Tetron (prison facility) awaits. The protection and succor you found at cabinet meetings with the former PM is at an end,” the AG argued.

The twin-island federation has been beset by runaway gangland violence in recent years with murders averaging about 600 annually. Authorities have turned to the US for assistance with intelligence as they remind citizens that Trinidad is just seven miles from Venezuela and the South American mainland where concerns about organized crimes are of major concern to both countries.