Suspect In Custody For American's Murder in Tobago: ...

By Peter Aitken

Politics Weekend Editor

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Police in Trinidad and Tobago have arrested a suspect in relation to the murder of an American man who may have been killed over a drug deal gone bad.

Local Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro confirmed the arrest to The Associated Press on Thursday, saying that “a suspect is currently in custody.” Police did not immediately confirm if the victim, 43-year-old Christopher Brown, was a tourist or not.

The suspect is a 26-year-old from Scarborough on the island of Tobago, according to Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

Why It Matters

Violence against tourists remains a chief concern in popular destinations around the world, with a particular focus on those closest to home, including Mexico and much of the Caribbean.

Trinidad and Tobago currently has a Level 3 travel advisory from the State Department, which was issued on April 13, 2025, and updated around a month later on May 7.

The country remains a concern for violent crime, including murder, robbery, assault, sexual assault, home invasion, and kidnapping.

Gang activity, such as narcotics trafficking, is common, and a significant portion of violent crime is gang-related, according to the advisory.

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What To Know

Brown was out with friends in Castara on Wednesday night when he said he was going to buy marijuana, according to a police report. Brown is a builder originally from Silverthorne, Colorado.

Shortly after 10:30 p.m., Trinidad and Tobago police responded to a report of a man found unresponsive in the area, and they pronounced Brown dead at the scene.

Police believe he had been stabbed, citing several wounds on his body and a metal object found protruding from his back. A motive for the killing remains unknown.

Police did not say whether Brown was merely visiting the island or when he arrived, but Trinidad and Tobago Newsday reported that Brown was taking a one-week holiday with his girlfriend and was due to return home on November 27.

The killing is the first of its kind in the small fishing village of Castara, according to Tobago’s Division of Tourism, which stressed that the village is known for being safe and welcoming, but the twin-island nation has recorded over 330 homicides so far this year.

Authorities implemented a state of emergency in July and accused a criminal network in prisons across the country of plotting to kill key government officials and attack public institutions, according to The Associated Press.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. State Department, in a travel advisory for Trinidad and Tobago, wrote, in part: "Reconsider travel to Trinidad and Tobago due to serious risks from crime. There are also heightened risks of terrorism and kidnapping."

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.

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