US embassy probing reports of that former US soldier was part of assassination plot

The American embassy in Port of Spain is investigating reports that a former US soldier has been identified as one of conspirators in an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and three senior cabinet ministers.

The person is Jason Brown, also called Abdool Karim, of 10 Williams Street, Aranjuez. The hit against the Prime Minister and minister was supposed to happen on November 24, 2011, according to information contained in the detention order.

The Express newspaper said it asked acting Public Affairs officer at the US Embassy Alexander McLaren about the matter. 

It quoted McLaren as saying, "We have a close relationship with Trinidad and Tobago on security matters, and we are in regular contact with security forces. We are aware of those reports and we are looking into them."

The express also reported that the guns and ammunition found at the Chase Village home of a car rental businessman are not linked to the alleged plot, citing a senior police source as the source.

"That is something entirely different and has absolutely no connection to what we are probing," it quoted the unnamed source as saying. 

The paper also reported that intelligence officers are searching for a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives believed to be part of the alleged plot.

Sixteen of the men, who have been served detention notices are being held at the Remand Yard Facility of the Golden Grove Prison, Arouca.Two others are being held at police stations.

All of them would be set free when the state of emergency ends on Monday unless they are charged with specific offences.