Police have launched an investigation into the disappearance of a Vieux Fort man believed to be linked to a fishing vessel destroyed in a United States drone strike last Friday, as authorities work to determine whether he was among those on board.
Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for the Northern Division, Luke Defreitas, confirmed that a missing person report has been officially filed by the family of Ricky Joseph of Vieux Fort.
“A missing person’s report has been made by the family of one Ricky Joseph of Vieux Fort. There are unconfirmed reports that he may have ventured out to sea about fishing patterns,” Defreitas said.
The development comes amid regional concern following confirmation by United States authorities that a fishing vessel was destroyed in what was described as a drone strike targeting suspected narco-terrorism activity.
Defreitas revealed that local police have since recovered debris believed to be from a fishing vessel, which is now being examined as part of the investigation.
“On Wednesday evening, the remains of what appeared to be a fishing vessel were recovered at Micoud by the police. This exhibit is now in the custody of the police. Our interest in this vessel is due to the fact that the family’s assertions are that Ricky Joseph may have been a passenger upon this vessel, whether a crew member or a worker. Again, these assertions have not been confirmed by law enforcement,” he explained.
The senior police official emphasized that the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force’s involvement at this stage is focused strictly on the missing person investigation and not on the circumstances surrounding the drone strike itself.
“At this point, I want to stress that our interest in this vessel is strictly related to the report of the missing person that has been made. We are pursuing information as it relates to the disappearance. Again, I want to make it clear that our interest in the vessel at this point has to do with a possible connection to the missing person,” Defreitas stated.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether Joseph was aboard the vessel at the time of the strike, and investigations remain ongoing.
The case has heightened anxiety within the southern community of Vieux Fort, as police continue to gather information and work with regional partners to determine the fate of the missing Saint Lucian.
Officials say further updates will be provided as more verified information becomes available.
