Joseph silent on gun-runners campaign

NATIONAL SECURITY Minister Martin Joseph declined comment on security initiatives being  undertaken to stem the flow of illegal guns and narcotics from Venezuela into Trinidad and Tobago. Questioned about an international report which indicated that Venezuela remained a problem as far as illegal arms and drug trafficking, Minister Joseph said, “I am not in a position to say what is being done. I think that is a question better answered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.” Joseph said even if he knew what security activities were taking place, he could not disclose them because of their sensitive nature. Joseph’s predecessor, Howard Chin Lee, said ongoing joint maritime operations between the TT Coast Guard and the Venezuelan Guardia Nacional were designed to curb the activities of drug and gun-runners in an exercise code named “Operation VenTri.”