Reconsidering the Immigration and Crime Nexus: Exploring the Relationship Between Venezuelans’ Involvement in Small Arms Trafficking and Trinidad and Tobago’s Security

Scholarly research has demonstrated that despite public concerns, immigrant populations do not significantly contribute to crime rates and, generally speaking, do not pose a direct criminal threat. Not only did the Venezuelan crisis highlight concerns of citizens’ safety, but it also drew attention to how these Latin American immigrants influenced the crime rates in Trinidad and Tobago. This chapter examines whether crime and violence in Trinidad and Tobago is associated with Venezuelans’ involvement in small arms trafficking. Interviews conducted in three Trinidad and Tobago prisons were analysed to provide a much more vivid understanding of how the Venezuelan crisis has impacted crime and violence in the country. With the use of NVivo software, a thematic analytical approach was used to explain the connection between small arms trafficking committed by Venezuelans and its impact on Trinidad and Tobago crime rates. The results of the study show that small arms trafficking from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago has contributed to criminality and extend prior research on the impact of the Venezuelan crisis on Trinidad and Tobago public security.