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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Crime & Justice

Copper Smuggling Between Trinidad and Venezuela Flourishes Amidst Restrictions

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A black market for copper is flourishing between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela following Trinidad's export ban on the metal.
  • The ban, aimed at curbing theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure, has severely impacted legitimate scrap metal traders, causing prices to plummet.
  • Criminal organizations are exploiting the situation, leading to dangerous smuggling routes and recent fatalities.

A lucrative black market for copper has emerged between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, with criminal organizations thriving in the wake of Trinidad's export ban on the metal. The prohibition, implemented to combat the rampant theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure, has inadvertently fueled illicit trade.

Legitimate scrap metal traders in Trinidad and Tobago are struggling to survive under the ban, which is in effect until July 2027. The price of copper has fallen dramatically, from nearly $6,000 per ton to just $2,650. Toby Jordan, an executive member of the Trinidad and Tobago Scrap Iron Dealers Association, estimates that hundreds of people in areas like Claxton Bay rely on the scrap metal trade for their livelihood, often providing a last resort for those with criminal records or limited employment options.

It is really the work of poor people. People who cannot find work due to a criminal record or who have no other option join this trade.

— Toby JordanDescribing the demographic and economic reliance on the scrap metal trade.

The pressure from falling prices and export restrictions is pushing traders towards the black market. Buyers in Venezuela are reportedly offering higher prices for copper, creating a strong incentive for illegal smuggling operations. This illicit trade often involves dangerous nighttime departures from beaches like Erin, with lookouts monitoring coast guard movements.

The risks associated with this smuggling route were tragically highlighted on July 26 when a boat carrying copper from Erin to Venezuela capsized off Trinidad's southwest coast. The incident resulted in the death of one Venezuelan national and the disappearance of another. A Trinidadian captain, who survived the shipwreck, was subsequently arrested. Trinidad's Minister of National Security, Roger Alexander, has vowed to pursue and prosecute smugglers and traffickers operating along the Trinidad-Venezuela corridor.

The smugglers and traffickers operating along the Trinidad-Venezuela corridor will be pursued and prosecuted.

— Minister of National Security, Roger AlexanderStating the government's commitment to combating illegal copper trade.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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