Investigators find that the tugboat involved in the Trinidad Tobago oil spill incident, named Solo Creed, belonged to a director associated with a network of Panamanian companies known for transporting oil from Venezuela.
The documents were validated by the Zanzibar Maritime Authority and uncovered by Bellingcat and the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian provide this information. Bellingcat previously revealed the identity of the barge involved in the oil spill, formerly known as the Gulfstream, and traced its final journey using satellite imagery, showing that it began leaking oil days before it was found stranded.
Since February 7th, 2024, the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has been responding on an incident of an overturned vessel and a resulting oil spill near Cove Eco Industrial and Business Park in Tobago. The spill appeared to be emanating from a wrecked barge, which was discovered lodged on a reef in the vicinity. The TTCG had also confirmed that the barge was being towed by a tug, the Solo Creed, from Panama, destined for Guyana.
Court records indicate that the vessel, formerly known as the Gulfstream, had previously exhibited water leaks and required pumping services to prevent sinking just months before its final voyage.
The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of National Security had stated that Solo Creed and the barge were bound for Guyana, with claims that the cargo was intended for Guyana Power and Light.
However, the company denied any connection to the incident. Documents also show suspicious activity by entities associated with the vessels after the spill, including the issuance of paperwork for a new registered owner of the tugboat in Zanzibar shortly after the incident.
Trinidad and Tobago authorities have called on the owner of the vessels to come forward and take responsibility for the spill, which has extended hundreds of miles into the Caribbean Sea. Despite these calls, no party has been publicly identified as responsible for the environmental disaster.
