A new report prepared by the United Kingdom Home Office says Trinidad and Tobago is home to 186 criminal gangs with an estimated 1,750 members, highlighting the significant role organized crime continues to play in the country’s security landscape.
The Country Policy and Information Note (CPIN), published in June 2026 to guide UK immigration and asylum decisions, states that gangs were linked to 43.7 percent of all murders in 2024 and approximately one-third of homicides recorded in 2025. According to the report, gang activity is concentrated in Port of Spain and along the East-West Corridor, although criminal groups operate in communities throughout the country. Areas identified include Laventille, Morvant, Sea Lots, Beetham, Tunapuna, Arima, Diego Martin, Chaguanas and San Fernando.
The Home Office identified the Muslims and Rasta City as the country’s principal gang groupings, while other gangs named in the report include Sixx, Seven, Resistance, Anybody Gets It (ABG), Tyson and the Boombay Gang. Researchers said gangs are involved in a range of criminal activities, including drug and firearms trafficking, contract killings, kidnappings, extortion, human trafficking, armed robbery, illegal quarrying and fraud. The report also referenced the presence of Venezuelan criminal organizations, including Tren de Aragua, operating alongside local gangs.
The assessment noted that gangs frequently recruit young people between the ages of 12 and 16, with recruitment reported in both schools and prisons. It also stated that women participate in gangs and, in some cases, hold leadership positions. According to the report, approximately 57 percent of the population was exposed to gang violence between January and September 2024 based on conflict data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
The report comes after Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency on December 30, 2024. During that period, authorities reportedly arrested more than 4,000 people, with approximately 1,600 individuals charged. While the Home Office said clashes between criminal groups and attacks on civilians declined by 44 percent during the first eight months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, it noted that gangs continued to account for roughly one in every three murders.
The report also highlighted concerns over witness intimidation, corruption, limited resources within law enforcement and the continued influence of gangs in some communities through financial support, dispute mediation and employment opportunities. The findings were informed in part by a USAID-funded regional study led by Trinidad and Tobago criminologist Dr. Randy Seepersad, which documented a steady increase in gang activity over the past decade. According to that study, the number of gangs grew from 60 in 2009 to 186 in 2022, while estimated gang membership increased from just over 1,000 in 2020 to 1,750 members by 2022.
The UK report has also drawn attention because it forms part of the evidence used in assessing asylum claims from Trinidad and Tobago. The Home Office concluded that while gangs exert influence in certain communities, they are not considered “political actors” in the same way as major gangs previously operating in El Salvador.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, has questioned the accuracy of some of the figures contained in the report, saying the government’s current data differs from that presented by UK authorities, although he did not provide alternative statistics.
