Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) corporate secretary Gary Aboud says the sudden revocation of his US visa is an attempt to silence his criticism of what he calls extrajudicial killings by US authorities in the Caribbean.
Aboud, who received a ten-year US tourist visa in December 2024, was notified by the US Embassy last week that his B1/B2 visa had been “prudentially revoked” after “additional information” emerged. The Embassy noted this was not a permanent disqualification.
Aboud believes the action is linked to his recent statements condemning US President Donald Trump and US military strikes that have killed dozens of alleged narco-traffickers. “I have done nothing wrong except express an opinion,” he said, adding that he will not retreat from his views. “There are lawful ways to prosecute crime. Extrajudicial killing is murder.”
He stressed that he has held a US visa since age 16 and considers the country a “second home,” but is confident he will regain his visa once “this murderous regime is removed.”
In a media release, Aboud warned that NGOs are being silenced and said FFOS has long advocated for justice and protection of vulnerable communities. He also criticised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s call to “kill them all violently,” urging that efforts to fight crime must follow judicial process.
“I respect our leader,” he said, “but those statements are reckless. I will not allow a visa issue to silence my opinion that murder is wrong.”
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