While there have been some complaints about the recent national budget, once funds are allocated towards critical technologies that act as force multipliers, our country will benefit from increased security capabilities. I would like to use this column to advocate for the importance of drone technology and raise awareness about the risks posed by drones used by dangerous non-state actors in our region.
Drones that can be purchased off of Amazon.com already have a control radius of up to 30km under ideal conditions; for reference, the straight-line distance from Fort George to Woodford Square is less than 5.1km. The straight-line distance from Maracas Beach to Sea Lots is under 16 km. In our small island nation, we can see the real risk of illegal actors using drones to transport illegal items great distances and evade law enforcement.
Thankfully, the Civil Aviation No. 19 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulations, 2016 have provided some legislative restrictions that will allow the prosecution of gang members who use drones in an unlawful manner.
The announcement of the $5 million budgetary allocation to the Air Guard to establish a military Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Unit is welcome news given developments in the field. Drones offer essential tools that can assist law enforcement in conducting surveillance on a budget.
Manhunts for criminals that were once carried out via helicopter surveillance can be prosecuted in a more cost-effective manner via drones without the state having to worry about costly helicopter maintenance and fuel costs.
Drones also have the benefit of running much quieter than a helicopter, allowing the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) to do reconnaissance without the targets being aware that they are being watched and recorded. Counter-drone operations are also essential, and further investment in counter-drone technology should be prioritised, as T&T’s criminal element already uses drones to transport contraband.
Joanne Clarke, writing for Caribbean National Weekly in 2025, reported: “Acting Commissioner of Prisons Hayden Forde says more than 600 drone drops have been detected across Trinidad’s prisons between April and October this year, with the majority occurring at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca.
“Forde, speaking on a local television programme Monday, said the growing use of drones to smuggle contraband has become a serious challenge for prison authorities, adding that some officers are also complicit in the illegal activity.”
Counter-drone solutions can be affordable and within the reach of the National Security budget. Net guns or low-cost radio frequency jammers that block the signals used to pilot drones cost only a few thousand US dollars. Radio frequency jammers placed outside of prisons or around hotspots could be effective in suppressing drone-related gang activity to prevent the trafficking of drugs or firearms using drones.
However, military-grade drones that fly at high altitudes often use satellite uplinks and cannot be jammed by low-cost solutions, necessitating high-end jammers or air defence missiles to take them down. While Trinidad and Tobago faces no military-grade drone threats from state actors, transnational drug cartels are increasingly adopting military-grade drone technology and utilising unmanned systems to further their criminal agenda.
There will therefore be the need for regular investments to keep our national security apparatus up to date and able to deal with the latest developments in unmanned systems in the air and sea before the drug cartels gain a technological advantage over our nation.
In 2025, the Colombian Navy intercepted an unmanned semi-submersible vessel with a cargo capacity of 1.5 tonnes off of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The vessel was equipped with a Starlink modem allowing it to connect to the internet on the high seas and be controlled remotely. This vessel is believed to be a testbed for a shift from the crewed semi-submersibles used by cartels for decades to unmanned craft as the next generation of “narco sub”.
Journalists have reported that cartels also make prolific use of aerial drones for surveillance and as weapons. Matilde Gamba, writing for the global network on extremism and technology, stated: “Organised crime groups such as the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel – both designated as terrorist organisations by the US in 2025 – have integrated commercially available drones into their operations.
“Initially used for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and narcotics trafficking, these drones have since been adapted for increasingly sophisticated offensive applications. Today, weaponised drones are routinely employed to target rival organisations, attack law enforcement, intimidate civilian populations, and gain territorial control. Growing evidence suggests that Mexican cartel operatives are not only adapting tactics pioneered on the Ukrainian battlefield through online learning environments but may also be seeking direct exposure to combat experience.”
With more than 600 drone drops detected in our prisons and transnational cartels already deploying remotely controlled vessels and weaponised drones, T&T cannot afford to fall behind.
The $5 million allocation to establish the Air Guard’s UAV Unit is a welcome first step, but it must be matched by sustained investment in both drone and counter-drone capabilities if our national security apparatus is to stay ahead of those who would use this technology against us.
