Category: CANA News

Terri Lyons won the 2026 Calypso Monarch competition on Sunday night defeating at least three other former winners as the Carnival activities enter the final two days of revelry.

Lyons, the daughter of Soca artiste, Austin Lyons, ‘Super Blue’, won the one million dollar (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) cash prize and a new vehicle for her performance of the song ‘Blessing’ following up on her 2020 victory at the Dimanche Gras show at the Queen’s Park Savannah, early Monday morning.

Terri Lyons won the 2026 Calypso Monarch competition on Sunday night defeating at least three other former winners as the Carnival activities enter the final two days of revelry.

Lyons, the daughter of Soca artiste, Austin Lyons, ‘Super Blue’, won the one million dollar (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) cash prize and a new vehicle for her performance of the song ‘Blessing’ following up on her 2020 victory at the Dimanche Gras show at the Queen’s Park Savannah, early Monday morning.

Nikhil Alleyne created history on Saturday when he became the first male skier to represent Trinidad and Tobago on the Olympic stage when he contested the giant slalom at Milano Cortina.

Alleyne recorded a time of 1:27.79 in his opening run, which placed him 59th. He improved in his second run to cross the finish line 1:19.93, which helped him climb the rankings and finish 52nd overall out of 81 competitors with a combined time of 2:47.72.

Speaking after his performance, the 21-year-old Alleyne said he felt honoured to represent T and T at such a prestigious event.

‘It feels very special that I was able to represent the country. I hope that I was able to do two good runs; my family was all watching. I think I could always do better, and I would hope to improve in the future. It was an okay performance, but I always hope for more.

‘I was actually really nervous before the first one. I knew I could do it, but the level of the race made me a little bit nervous. I tried not to let it affect me too much and just made my race plan and go for it but still, I was nervous for sure,’ Alleyne said.

Alleyne will next contest the slalom race in two days’ time.

Suriname says it is developing a programme that would allow the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to resume exporting sopropo to the European Union.

The European Union has restricted imports of fresh sopropo (bitter melon) from Suriname due to risks posed by the Thrips palmi pest. Introduced around 2019, this ban on certain plants and plant parts impacts a significant portion of Suriname’s agricultural exports.

To resume exports, Suriname must implement strict, EU-approved phytosanitary measures to prove the fruit is free from the pest. Priot to the ban, sopropo accounted for as much as 35 per cent of Suriname’s fresh produce exports vole to Europe.

Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister, Mike Noersalim, said that the programme is being developed to overturn the ban that had been imposed on the country for several years after it was found that the sopropo had been infected with thrips (insects).

He said that the new initiative has already been discussed with vegetable exporters and ther stakeholders including the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Tourism and the Ministry of Justice and Police.

‘Suriname’s success as an exporting country depends on all the stakeholders involved in this process,’ Noersalim said the discussions with the stakeholders addressed issues not only related to phytosanitary matters but also organizational aspects.

He said the new policy is aimed at accelerating the development of the agricultural sector and increasing the export of agricultural products. The intention is to continue regular consultations with vegetable exporters, not only to discuss bottlenecks but also to arrive at concrete solutions where possible.

‘It is a process and requires a new way of thinking. But we are not shying away from the challenges surrounding vegetable exports,’ Noersalim said.

Grenada is amending its domestic violence law to recognise the rights of couples who have lived together for more than five years by extending to them the same rights as if they were married.

The amendment is among several legislations that will be presented to the Lower House for debate and approval when it meets on Tuesday .

The amended Domestic Violence Act defines ‘cohabitant’ as a person who is living, or has lived, with a person of the opposite sex, as a husband or wife, although not legally married to that person.

The 2026 amendment to the Act, which is one of the recommendations from the Spotlight Initiative, defines ‘cohabitant’ to mean (a) in relation to a woman, a single man who is living or has lived together with a single woman as husband and wife on a bona fide domestic basis continuously for a period of not less than five years; or in relation to a man, a single woman who is living or has lived together with a single man as husband and wife on a bona fide domestic basis continuously for a period of not less than five years.

Besides amending the definition for cohabitant, the legislators will also be repealing and replacing a new definition for the term domestic violence.

According to the amended legislation domestic violence’ after receiving the relevant approval will now mean means any controlling or abusive behaviour that harms the health, safety or well-being of a person or any child.

This actions includes, physical abuse or threats of physical abuse; sexual abuse or threats of sexual abuse; emotional, verbal or psychological abuse; economic abuse; intimidation; harassment, including online harassment; stalking, including cyberstalking; cyberbullying; damage to or destruction of property; or entry into the applicant’s residence without consent, where the parties do not share the same residence.

Under the Domestic Violence law ‘cyberbullying’ means the repeated or continuous use of electronic or digital means to publish, transmit or distribute any content or message with the intent to demean, humiliate, intimidate, threaten or emotionally abuse the applicant.

While ‘cyberstalking’ means the repeated or continuous use of electronic or digital means to engage in a pattern of conduct that harasses, intimidates, threatens or causes fear or emotional distress to the applicant, where such conduct is intended to control, coerce or cause harm to the applicant or would reasonably be perceived as such by the applicant.

‘Online harassment’ means engaging in a pattern of conduct, through electronic or digital means, that induces the fear of harm or causes emotional distress or humiliation to the applicant, including- repeatedly or continuously sending abusive, threatening or humiliating messages to the applicant; impersonating the applicant or creating false digital content intended to harm the applicant’s reputation; monitoring or tracking the applicant’s digital activity without his or her consent; or publishing or threatening to publish private or sensitive information about the applicant;

Under the legislation, ‘private or sensitive information’ is defined as any information, whether recorded or unrecorded, oral, written, visual, electronic or otherwise that pertains to the intimate, personal or confidential aspects of a person’s identity, relationships, activities or circumstances; is not publicly available or lawfully accessible without that person’s consent; and which, ‘if disclosed, is likely to result in harm, humiliation, distress or danger to that person; or a violation of that person’s reasonable expectation of privacy’.

Denzel Phillips wrote his name in Saint Lucia’s history books when he became the first athlete from his country to qualify for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in the discus event.

Competing on Saturday at the King of the Ring meet at Excelsior High School, the 18-year-old Phillips, a student at Jamaica College, threw the discus a personal best 56.78 metres to cop gold in the Under-20 boys’ division.

It significantly bettered his previous personal best of 52.53m which he registered at last year’s Jamaica Athletics Association’s CARIFTA trials.

Phillips is now the first Saint Lucian ever to qualify for the World Junior Championships in his event. As of February 16, he is second on the World Athletics’ list, behind only Jamaica’s Joseph Salmon.

Phillips, who trains with coach Rajive Ford, will try to become the first Saint Lucian to win an Under-20 discus medal at the CARIFTA Games in Grenada this Easter.

He will also be making travel plans for Oregon in the USA, as he will line up against some of the world’s best junior throwers from August 5 to 9.

Principal Magistrate, Judy Latchman, has withdrawn an arrest warrant issued earlier on Monday for Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, saying she will temper justice with mercy and allowing him to be released from custody.

The warrant had been issued for Mohamed, who failed to turn up on time for the continuation of his extradition matter to the United States.

‘You were absent this morning,’ the magistrate told him, gto which he replied ‘Yes, I was. I am sorry I arrived late, but I have reasons and can prove why I was late,’

Mohamed explained that upon waking up, he discovered that two tyres on his vehicle had been damaged. He also told the court that he is currently dependent on a driver due to insurance issues affecting his vehicles.

The magistrate reminded him that he had previously been late and had been warned that ‘9 o’clock is 9 o’clock.’

‘Under this court’s watch, the wheels of justice will continue to turn in a timely manner,’ Magistrate Latchman said, indicating that she was inclined to escheat his bail and remand him to prison to guarantee his attendance at the next hearing.

‘I will not tolerate excuses,’ she added, before asking what guarantee the court had that the situation would not recur, to which one of his attorneys said that he would personally ensure Mohamed’s punctual attendance going forward

Last weekend, lawyers representing the Opposition Leader and his billionaire businessman father Nazar Mohamed, said they are seeking an order from the Court of Appeal suspending the extradition committal proceedings in the magistrate’s court.

The magistrate cautioned Mohamed not to let the situation happen again and made it clear that next time, bail would be withdrawn.

The lawyers said that they want the Court of Appeal to suspend the proceedings until a substantive appeal of an earlier High Court ruling decision on the Authority to Proceed (ATP)

The Mohameds have been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for allegedly smuggling more than 10,000 kilogrammes of gold worth more than US$50 million and in the process failing to pay the relevant taxes to the Guyana government.

Last October, a US Federal Grand Jury unsealed a 11-count indictment on the Mohameds for alleged wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. Subsequently, the US requested his extradition to face trial for those alleged crimes.

The extradition matter has been adjourned to February 18.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Monday defended the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme that is being implemented by several countries in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to improve their socio-economic development.

Under the CBI programme, these countries, like Antigua and Barbuda, provide citizenship for foreign nationals in return for making a substantial investment in the their socio economic development.

‘For several Caribbean small island states, these are lawful, transparent development tools, operating within clear legal frameworks and strong oversight. They have been strengthened in consultation and with the participation of the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States,’ Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the inaugural European Union-Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly (CACP).

The three day Assembly has been described by EU as an ‘historic step in the partnership under the Samoa Agreement’ allowing for parliamentarians from Europe and the Caribbean to strengthen political dialogue and discuss key shared priorities, including climate resilience and energy transition, trade and investment, transnational organised crime, territorial integrity and multilateralism, and the situation in Haiti.

The Assembly comprises one member of parliament of each State Party in the Caribbean, and an equal number of Members of the European Parliament. The Caribbean countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.

Prime Minister Browne told the delegates that the CBI programmes are very important and have ‘helped finance hurricane recovery, climate-resilient infrastructure, healthcare, education, and fiscal stability in these small economies with limited alternatives.

‘We recognise that integrity is essential, and we have acted accordingly, tightening vetting, enhancing regulation, and expanding international cooperation,’ he said, adding ‘citizenship policy remains a sovereign responsibility.

‘But sovereignty does not preclude dialogue. We have invited and continue to engage with the European Union on strengthening our CBI programmes. It is an engagement that is evidence-based, technically grounded, and as respectful of our development realities as we are respectful of your concerns. ‘

Prime Minister Browne said that the stringent due diligence, biometrics, residency and other requirements make the ‘obtention of our citizenship far more difficult and less risky than other third country nationals obtaining non-immigrant EU visas.

‘Therefore, the perceived risks associated with our citizens accessing the European Union are exacerbated,’ he added.

Browne told the conference that in a world where pressure is increasingly mistaken for policy, ‘we choose to remind ourselves and each other that law, not leverage, is the only durable foundation of peace and prosperity.

‘For the Caribbean, multilateralism is not a generalised abstract concept. It is a rules based order on which small states in the Caribbean depend. It is how small states survive in a world of unequal power and inequitable distribution of economic and social benefits.’

He said tha rules are the shield for the Caribbean with law as its insurance and predictability as the lifeline.

‘When those weaken, our vulnerability grows. It is felt first by small, open economies such as ours in the Caribbean. But as Europe has come to learn, that vulnerability does not remain contained; it spreads outward and eventually reaches even middle powers.’

Browne said that only through multilateral cooperation and collaboration in the practical and joint application of principles, rules and law, can small and medium sized countries resist coercion.

He said that the European Union itself is proof that law-based cooperation, patient, negotiated, and principled, can convert fragility into stability and difference into strength.

‘We, in the Caribbean, have pursued the same approach, although not as yet, with the same level of success. But to the extent that both our regions recognise and practice integration and joint action, that shared experience must be the foundation of the partnership between Europe and the Caribbean.

‘And at this moment in history, it must be reaffirmed, not quietly, not cautiously, but clearly. The EU and the Caribbean must stand together in defending multilateralism, not as rhetoric, but as practical diplomacy and institutional reform. ‘

Browne said that climate change remains the Caribbean’s defining challenge.

‘We did not cause it. We cannot escape it. And, unlike others, we cannot deny it. We have to adapt to it and build resilience to it. We are adapting and building resilience, but the pace of impact now exceeds the pace of our capacity to respond.’

But he said the reality is that rising seas, coastal erosion, continuous droughts, and now the persistent burden of sargassum, an ecological crisis with real economic consequences for tourism, fisheries, public health, and coastal infrastructure.

‘We therefore need partners not only to help us strengthen resilience within our region, but to act internationally to arrest climate change at its source. For there is no refuge in indifference: if the Caribbean perishes, climate change will not abate, it will only gather force and strike the next most vulnerable nations.’

Browne said that the Caribbean welcomes the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative and its stated ambition to mobilise investment at scale.

In 2021, the European Commission and the EU High Representative launched the Global Gateway, a new European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors, while also strengthening health, education and research systems across the world.

The EU said that since 2021, Europe has mobilised over pound 306 billion(One Euro=US$1.29 cents) of investments that support sustainable and high-quality projects, addressing the needs of partner countries and ensuring lasting benefits for local communities.

In his address, Prime Minister Browne said that ambition must now translate into delivery.

‘Resilient energy grids, renewable power generation, coastal protection, and climate-adaptive infrastructure cannot remain immobile simply as announcements and pilots,’ he said, adding finance must move faster.

‘Access must be simpler. And vulnerability, not outdated income classifications, must guide eligibility. This is not a plea for charity. It is a call for partnership grounded in shared risk and shared responsibility.’

He said that the same principle applies to trade, noting that the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) provides a sound legal framework, but law alone does not generate prosperity, execution does.

‘Small and medium-sized Caribbean enterprises still struggle to translate access on paper into access in practice. Rules of origin, regulatory complexity, and limited technical capacity, too often blunt the promise of the Agreement.

‘If this partnership is to mature, it must become more usable, more navigable, and more responsive to the realities of small economies,’ Prime Minister Browne said, adding that the ingredients for a reset in EU-Caribbean relations are present.

‘What has been missing is political will to implement them. The Caribbean does not need a proliferation of declarations.

‘It needs a focused and coherent agenda to include: targeted market-access fixes, modernised rules of origin, credible investment pipelines under the Global Gateway initiative, climate finance that is fast and accessible, and security cooperation that recognises transnational crime as a shared threat.

‘At a time when global trade routes are being reshaped, predictability is not a luxury, it is an economic stabiliser,’ Browne said, adding that rules-based trade protects the strong, and while it has not always done so, it must also enable the small.

‘We seek deeper European investment in renewable energy, science and technology, digital services, sustainable tourism, the blue economy, and the creative industries. The Caribbean offers political stability, strategic location, and a firm commitment to democratic governance and the rule of law.

‘We offer certainty. We offer reliability. We offer partnership. But partnership also depends on people. Trade, investment, culture, and innovation require mobility. Entrepreneurs must meet investors. Artists must perform. Researchers must collaborate.

‘A modern EU-Caribbean relationship must therefore support legitimate, secure, and predictable movement-fully consistent with security requirements but not constrained by unnecessary friction and exaggerated fears about our investment immigration programmes,’ Prime Minister Browne added.

Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman Monday issued an arrest warrant for Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed, even as his attorney urged her not to do so.

The magistrate said that Mohammed, who is facing extradition to the United States on fraud and other related charges, was due to to attend court at 9.00 am (local time) and that the warrant had been issued at 9.05 am.

‘I will guarantee that your client will be here, Counsel, on the next occasion for nine ‘o” clock sharp,’ Latchman told defence lawyer, Roysdale Forde, who had earlier failed in his bid to convince the magistrate that such action not be taken.

But after hearing from another of the lawyers that Nazar Mohamed, the father of the Opposition Leader that his client is ill, she adjourned the case to February 18 ‘for an updated medical certificate’.

But she expressed grave concern about the Opposition bein’.

The magistrate noted that Monday was not the first time that she had expressed concern about Mohamed’s lateness for court.

Last weekend, lawyers representing the Mohameds said they are seeking an order from the Court of Appeal suspending the extradition committal proceedings in the magistrate’s court.

The lawyers said that they want the Court of Appeal to suspend the proceedings until a substantive appeal of an earlier High Court ruling decision on the Authority to Proceed (ATP)

The Mohameds have been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for allegedly smuggling more than 10,000 kilogrammes of gold worth more than US$50 million and in the process failing to pay the relevant taxes to the Guyana government.

Last October, a US Federal Grand Jury unsealed a 11-count indictment on the Mohameds for alleged wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. Subsequently, the US requested his extradition to face trial for those alleged crimes. The extradition matter is now before the local courts.

Later on Monday, Forde went before Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty seeking to have the arrest warrant recalled saying that Mohamed has no history of being absent or late for court appearances.

According to Forde, his client had contacted him earlier indicating that he was unwell. Upon attempting to travel to court, Mohamed reportedly discovered that his vehicle’s tyres had been slashed. Despite this, he made arrangements to attend and arrived roughly 30 minutes after the warrant had already been issued.

Forde said that the date was not set for a substantive hearing but for reporting purposes, specifically to present a medical certificate confirming the illness of Mohamed’s father.

He maintained there was no attempt to frustrate or obstruct the court process.

Forde further told the Chief Magistrate that after learning of the warrant, he made several attempts through the magistrate’s clerk to inform Magistrate Latchman that Mohamed was present and to request that the warrant be withdrawn. However, he said no audience was granted.

He also indicated that Mohamed and his businesses have recently faced incidents including vehicles being broken into and documents going missing.

State Prosecutor Glenn Hanoman, who appeared virtually, argued that Chief Magistrate McGusty did not have jurisdiction to recall the warrant, arguing that the warrant must be addressed by the same magistrate who issued it and that whatever decision Magistrate Latchman made should stand.

He maintained that the matter must return before her and that Mohamed should remain before the court until then.

He also suggested that Mohamed had been disrespectful to the court and said he did not support recalling the warrant.

During the proceedings, Chief Magistrate McGusty made it clear that magistrates are not to act based on feelings.

She stated that courts operate on law and procedure, not emotion, and expressed surprise at the allegation that the issuing magistrate had refused to exercise her authority to see counsel or even engage in discussion on the issue after Mohamed arrived.

She noted that she did not wish to be involved in the matter but since the application was brought before her, she was required to deal with it.

Chief Magistrate McGusty adjourned the matter briefly to allow Hanoman to confirm whether the issuing magistrate had indeed declined to grant an audience or entertain submissions for withdrawal of the warrant.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne Monday said Caribbean countries should look beyond trade in their relations with the European Union (EU).

Addressing the inaugural three-day EU-Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly, Prime Minister Brown also urged support for Haiti, the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country undergoing severe socio-economic and security problems and where criminal gangs are seeking to overthrow the interim government.

The situation in Haiti is among the agenda items for the meeting here.

Earlier this month, the United States re-affirmed its support for Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimè after he assumed leadership of the interim government following the end of the mandate of the Provisional Transitional Council (CPT). Watch video

The CPT was established in April 2024 to restore political stability, address the security crisis caused by powerful armed gangs, and facilitate a transition of power following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The nine-member council was created to select a new prime minister and cabinet, prepare for, and oversee the nation’s next elections, which are planned for early 2026. Since April 2024, Haiti has held no national elections.

It left office none days ago with its tenure marred by infighting, poor governance and paralysis, as well as persistent allegations of influence peddling, corruption, collusion with armed gangs and of diverting public resources for personal gain.

Browne told the Assembly that on territorial integrity, ‘our position is unambiguous. Borders matter, commitments matter, international adjudication matters. When states choose courts over confrontation, those choices must be honoured.

‘For small states, international law is not optional.it is existential,’ Browne told the delegates, adding that with regards to Haiti, the situation in the country reminds all that security and governance cannot be addressed in isolation.

‘The Caribbean remains committed to a legitimate, transparent and accountable Haitian-led path forward, supported by sustained international engagement. The security situation must be brought under control to stop the suffering of the Haitian people and to facilitate free and fair elections at which time the democratic institutions of government must be fully restored,’ Browne said.

He said that there is recognition that the majority of EU assistance to the Caribbean is directed at Haiti alone.

‘The circumstances of Haiti must change so that the country can rise up from its knees, stand up for itself and its responsibilities,’ Browne said.

He told the delegates that the EU countries have a ‘physical and lawful presence’ in the Caribbean and together we have a shared concern about transnational crime. He said intelligence sharing, maritime cooperation as well as financial crime interdiction are areas for further cooperation.

But speaking specifically to the various Caribbean delegations, Prime Minister Browne said the joint EU-Caribbean Assembly will only be strong as the seriousness and discipline ‘we bring to it.

‘I therefore urge Caribbean parliamentarians that we act together to meet more frequently to coordinate positions and to translate this partnership into clear recommendations to our national parliaments.

‘Our engagements with the European Union must not be confined to trade and investments alone. It must extend to multi-dimensional security, including food and energy security, health security, education resilience.and protection against transnational crime and climate disruption’.

Browne outlined three ‘practical’ steps for enhancing the cooperation with the EU, urging regional parliamentarians meeting here to establish a standing consultative mechanism, meeting at least twice annually ‘to develop coordinated Caribbean positions for engagement with their European counterparts.

‘This group should produce concise action orientated recommendations to national parliaments focused on aligning domestic legislation .with agreed European Union objectives in trade, logistics, security cooperation, food and energy systems, health partnerships and educational access.

‘Third, we should commit to parliamentary follow through using our oversight functions to track implementation, identify obstacles to ensure that commitments made at the regional and international levels are reflected in national policies and budgets’.

Prime Minister Browne said this is how this Assembly can evolve and mature from dialogue to direction and to delivery.

Browne told the gathering that the world is now living through a period of geopolitical adjustments with some countries retreating from cooperation, some narrowing alliances and others substituting leverage for law.

‘In this gathering we are choosing a different course. We choose rules over uncertainty.we choose partnership over fragmentation and we value partners that understanding that lasting stability is built not be dominance but by collaboration.

‘This Assembly must therefore be practical, strategic and forward thinking,’ he said, urging support for countries to deal with the impact of climate change, improve trade rules and defend sovereignty through law.

The three-day meeting here is being co-chaired by Malik Azmani of the Renew Group and Jamaica’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Heroy Anthony Clarke both of whom serve as the Co-Presidents of the EU-Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly.

According to the agenda, during the three days, parliamentarians from Europe and the Caribbean will debate five key themes, namely climate resilience, the sargassum phenomenon and the energy transition, trade and investment, transnational organised crime, territorial integrity and multilateralism and the situation in Haiti

The parliamentarians will conclude their work by adopting concrete recommendations to be addressed to the EU-Caribbean Council of Ministers.

Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre Monday said the St. Lucia government ‘is actively engaging through established diplomatic and security channels’ regional and international media reports that at least two nationals may have been killed in the latest United States military strike against illegal drug dealers in the Caribbean Sea.

‘Today, I addressed reports circulating across the region that have raised concern among our citizens. Let me assure the nation: the Government of St. Lucia is actively engaging through established diplomatic and security channels to verify the facts. We will communicate confirmed information to the public promptly and responsibly,’ Pierre said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

Last Friday, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said that at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander General. Francis L. Donovan, the ‘Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.

‘Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,’ SOUTHCOM said in a statement.

SOUTHCOM has since released a video of the attack that appears to show a missile strike on the boat which then explodes into flames, leaving the vessel obliterated.

Last Saturday, the St. Vincent Times newspaper published photographs of that it said were the remnants of an alleged drug boat blown up in a lethal strike by the US military last week that surfaced off Canouan, one of the Grenadine islands.

It said that the discovery was made by a group of fishermen from the mainland who had indicated that no bodies were seen floating in the area.

The newspaper reported that the fishermen who made the discovery said, the bow of the boat was still visible with the engine and most of the hull submerged.

‘The Nationality of those killed in the strike were not detailed by the U.S. military. However, St Vincent Times understands from several sources that three St Lucians who went out to sea last week Monday, have been missing since. ‘

The paper said that the location of the find raises questions about whether the boat was blown up in international waters or in the territorial waters of St Vincent.

The St Vincent and the Grenadines government has not made any statement on the matter and the police have also not issued a statement.

International law and human rights experts have repeatedly said such attacks by the Donald Trump administration amount to extrajudicial executions, even if those targeted are alleged to be engaged in trafficking drugs.

Last month, the families of two Trinidadian men killed in a US strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat have filed a lawsuit against the American government.

Lawyers filed the claim in Boston’s federal court on behalf of relatives of Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, among six men killed off the coast of Venezuela on October 14 last year.

One of the lawyers said in a statement that the strike amounted to ‘lawless killings in cold blood; killings for sport and killings for theatre’.

The US has struck at least 36 vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since September, last year killing more than 120 people with the Trump administration saying it targeting ‘narco-terrorists’ carrying drugs that kill Americans.

In his statement, Prime Minister Pierre said in ‘matters affecting national security and regional stability, speculation has no place.

‘Our approach is disciplined, fact-based, and guided by the singular priority of protecting the people and interests of St. Lucia,’ he added.