A group of 11 Venezuelans, including children, drowned on their way to Trinidad and Tobago.
The deaths were confirmed by the Coast Guard in a statement on Saturday.
However, based on information from Venezuelan authorities, it’s believed that nine more are missing.
The Coast Guard said it received information from Venezuelan authorities that eleven bodies had been recovered from the waters close to the Venezuelan coastal town of Guiria.
The vessel, according to preliminary information, had departed Guiria on December 6 with more than 20 people onboard.
These individuals have not been seen or heard from since that day.
The Coast Guard has not intercepted any vessels coming from Guiria.
Its Rescue Coordination Center has since dispatched assets as part of a joint search effort with Venezuelan authorities.
The Coast Guard added that it continues to provide border security services in the face of the threat of COVID-19 to “maintain the safety and security of Trinidad and Tobago through the conduct of maritime security patrols within our area of operations”.
