Summary

• Businessman Danny Guerra, 50, was killed by armed gunmen at his Sangre Grande office on Friday and pronounced dead at the hospital.
• Guerra was recently released on January 2, 2026, after spending nearly six weeks in detention under a State of Emergency (SoE) preventive detention order.
•  Late last year, authorities accused him of leading an Organised Crime Group and plotting to assassinate a Government Minister, though the detention order was later revoked.
• Guerra fiercely maintained his innocence, hiring a British King’s Counsel and successfully securing a High Court injunction against the police for violating his constitutional rights during business searches.
• At the time of his death, the real estate developer was out on $50,000 bail following an October 2025 police raid that led to charges for the unlawful processing of aggregate at an illegal quarry in Guanapo

 

By Prior Beharry

DANNY Guerra, a businessman and former State of Emergency (SoE) detainee who was recently accused of plotting to assassinate a government minister, was fatally shot at his Sangre Grande home on Friday.

According to reports, armed criminals descended on Guerra as he entered his 4×4 outside his office on Friday. A white Tiida pulled up along side and one of the two armed men opened his door and shot him multiple times. He was rushed to the Sangre Grande Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The 50-year-old businessman, who resided on North Oropouche Road, had been released on January 2, 2026, after spending nearly six weeks at the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre (ECRC) under a preventive detention order (PDO) under the previous SoE.

The PDO, signed by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander on November 19, 2025, labelled Guerra as a clear and present threat to public safety. Authorities alleged that Guerra was the leader of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) involved in illegal arms trafficking, money laundering, and illegal quarrying.

 The detention order claimed that Guerra and others intended to “imminently execute the assassination of a Government Minister and to escalate attacks against rival gangs in public spaces using high-powered firearms.” His son, 28-year-old Garvin Guerra, was also detained under a similar order.

While the PDO did not name the targeted minister, news surfaced in August 2025 regarding death threats made against three government ministers: Wayne Sturge, Khadijah Ameen, and Barry Padarath. Sturge, in particular, allegedly faced threats after refusing demands to hire specific individuals at his Toco/Sangre Grande constituency office—a district where Guerra reportedly played a role in the ruling United National Congress (UNC) general election campaign.

The assassination plot order against Guerra was ultimately revoked. Guerra fiercely challenged the allegations against him, retaining a British King’s Counsel to fight the claims. He successfully obtained a High Court injunction against the police, citing violations of his constitutional rights during searches of his businesses.

Guerra was a well-known figure in the real estate and construction sectors. As the proprietor of DG Homes and manager of the D Guerra Group of Companies, he spearheaded several housing developments, including Daniel Estate in Cunupia and Ella Vista Gardens in Sangre Grande.

However, his business operations had recently come under heavy police scrutiny. On October 9, 2025, Guerra, his son, and 16 others were arrested during a major police crackdown on an illegal quarrying site at Manuel Congo in Guanapo. The operation resulted in the seizure of a multi-million-dollar processing plant and heavy machinery. Guerra was subsequently charged with the unlawful processing of aggregate without a license from the Ministry of Energy and was released on $50,000 bail.

Addressing the broader issue of illegal quarrying, Commissioner of Police (CoP) Allister Guevarro recently released a statement noting that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has been aggressively investigating these crimes. According to Guevarro, 47 people were arrested and charged between 2020 and 2025 for illegal quarrying and mineral processing across areas such as Wallerfield, Sangre Grande, Matura, and Vega De Oropouche.