Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard officers fired on intruders who attempted to board the wreck of a mysterious oil tanker that capsized off the Caribbean country several months ago, its energy ministry said Saturday.
The ship, named Gulfstream and sailing under an unidentified flag, had spilled 50,000 barrels of oil near the southern coast of Tobago when it capsized in February and was found abandoned.
“There was an attempted unauthorized boarding of a support vessel by unidentified individuals” on Friday evening, the Energy Ministry said.
“Officers from the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard were on scene and responded. There was an exchange of gunfire and one member of the response team was injured, but his life is not in danger.”
Tobago Emergency Management Agency
The Gulfstream had recently been refloated and taken for salvage to the Sea Lots area near Port of Spain in Trinidad, where the attempted boarding took place.
Police say Sea Lots is a popular location for gangs. The department said it is working with police and the military to protect the site.
The Gulfstream’s owner remains a mystery. The “Solo Creed,” a barge that was towing the ship at the time of the sinking, had turned off its locator beacon and disappeared with its crew.
The Energy Ministry said in May that formal requests had been made to Tanzania, Nigeria, Panama, Aruba and Curacao to help track down those responsible.
At the time of the spill, Prime Minister Keith Rowley declared the country to be in a national emergency. Images and videos released by the government show crews working late into the night to stop the spread of the oil. The government has also posted satellite images on social media showing the affected areas.
Trinidad and Tobago, famous for its beaches and carnival, is an archipelago of 1.4 million inhabitants.
Its proximity to Venezuela has made it a preferred stopping point for various illicit trafficking routes.
About a week after the spill, a black plastic bag containing more than a kilo of cocaine washed up on a beach near where the barge capsized. It is unclear whether the drugs were linked to the vessel.
