Two US Fugitives Deported from Trinidad and Tobago for Drug Crimes

Two US Fugitives Tevin Williams and Zakiya Williams were deported from Trinidad and Tobago to the United States of America on August 22, 2025, in a landmark joint law enforcement operation targeting transnational crime. The pair had been wanted in the US on federal drug trafficking charges and for failing to appear in California and New York courts after being released with a pending trial in 2023.  

After fleeing the US, the two fugitives hid in Trinidad until intelligence sources led the Trinidad and Tobago Police Services’ Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) and the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Vetted Unit to arrest both of them in La Romaine on August 19, 2025. It was in March 2025, when reports emerged that the two are hiding in T&T, to which a joint task force launched the targeted operation.  

The Ministry of National Security then issued a deportation order over them on August 21, clearing the way for their immediate removal. Their deportation was coordinated by multiple agencies including;  

• TTPS Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) 
• Drug Enforcement Administration’s Vetted Unit (VU) 
• Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of National Security 
• Trinidad and Tobago Customs and Immigration 
• Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago 
• U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) 
• U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) 
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service 
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
• U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration 

The US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Charlie Franta stated that the operation is a shining example of what they can accomplish together.  

“The close partnership between our nations’ law enforcement services, and the results those relationships consistently produce, provide a shining example of what we can accomplish together. Locating, arresting, and conducting a return of two U.S. fugitives simultaneously is a feat unheard of in the region. I’m very proud of our two nations’ professionals in law enforcement as they continue every day to strive to make our countries, and the world, a safer place for our citizens,” she stated.