Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has issued a stern warning to gangs and detainees recently released from prison following the State of Emergency, stating she will not hesitate to declare another on if criminal activity escalates.

In a social media post, Persad-Bissessar said law-abiding citizens were “fed up” with crime and made it clear that anyone engaging in violence or intimidation would face swift consequences.

“I want the gangs and those detainees released from prison to know that decent law-abiding citizens are fed up of your criminality and I will have no hesitation in enacting another SOE if you cannot behave yourselves,” the Prime Minister wrote.

She warned that offenders would be returned to prison and suggested that individuals who assist criminal activity could also face consequences.

“You will be returned straight to prison and this time, your friends and family who aid your criminality will accompany you,” she stated.

Persad-Bissessar said her government was prepared for the end of the SOE and pledged to use every legal option available to protect citizens.

“It’s time to tip the scales in this country toward law-abiding citizens. I will use every means within the law to make criminals and their friends and families’ lives an absolute hell,” she said.

The Prime Minister also dismissed criticism of her approach, stating that she was unconcerned by what she described as “woke, race baiting, and bigoted propaganda”.

She further warned that attempts to destabilise the country would be met with firm resistance.

“Anyone wanting to do this should understand by now that I am willing to do what it takes to keep decent, law-abiding citizens safe, so be certain that I will meet you head-on,” she wrote.

Persad-Bissessar claimed that a combination of American border security assistance, the leadership of Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, and the detention of individuals under the SOE contributed to a reduction of 257 murders in 2025 compared to 2024.

She accused political opponents and what she described as local drug mafia financiers of seeking to benefit from instability and violence, and vowed that her administration would dismantle criminal networks and their influence.

“Your UNC government is committed to brutally destroying the local drug mafia and the violent gangs that they finance,” she said, adding that narco influence in government ended with the removal of the PNM from office on April 28, 2025.

The Prime Minister reiterated that public safety remains the priority as the country transitions out of the SOE.