Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday doubled down on her stance against drug traffickers, saying she has chosen to support the United States because her priority remains the safety and security of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Prime Minister dismissed criticisms from Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles and reiterated her statement that drug traffickers should be killed violently, maintaining these criminal elements have been wreaking havoc on the people of Trinidad and Tobago for more than two decades.

“For more than 25 years, narco-traffickers have unleashed hell upon Trinidad and Tobago, fuelling our murder rate, flooding our streets with guns and drugs, and brutalising our people through torture, intimidation, extortion, kidnapping and violence. These cartels prey on our youth, destroy families, and profit from misery,” she told the Express by phone.