Keron Alexis has spoken publicly about his experience under Trinidad and Tobago’s 2026 State of Emergency, saying he spent close to six months in preventive detention before being released without a criminal charge being brought against him. In an emotional video statement, Alexis thanked relatives, supporters and others who stood by him during his detention, saying he needed time after his release to process what he had experienced before addressing the public. “I just come out almost six months, just so, just like that,” Alexis said as he questioned the system that allowed him to remain detained for an extended period. Alexis, whose full name is recorded in official documents as Kerron Isiah Alexis, was formally placed under a detention order signed by Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander on April 4, 2026. The order, subsequently published in the Trinidad and Tobago Gazette, directed that Alexis be detained at the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre at Santa Rosa, Arima, or another designated location. The Government’s stated grounds for the detention contained serious allegations against Alexis. Authorities identified him as the alleged leader of the Rated R Gang and alleged that the group was involved in shootings and trafficking in illegal narcotics, firearms and ammunition. The detention order further alleged that violent attacks against rivals were being planned. Those claims formed the stated grounds for preventive detention. They should not be confused with a criminal conviction. Alexis now says he was ultimately released without being charged in relation to the allegations that resulted in his preventive detention. Alexis alleges detention followed criticism of police A major part of Alexis’s new statement focused on his relationship with the police. He alleged that officers associated with the same unit he had previously criticised were involved in preparing information against him that contributed to his detention. Alexis suggested that his public commentary had “ruffled some feathers” and alleged that his detention was used as a means of silencing him. These are allegations made by Alexis and have not been independently established. His criticism extended beyond his personal circumstances. Alexis questioned whether sufficient safeguards exist when police intelligence can contribute to someone being detained for months without the person first going through the ordinary criminal trial process. He repeatedly returned to the principles of due process and the presumption of innocence. Alexis argued that ordinary citizens, particularly those without substantial financial resources to retain lawyers, may face considerable difficulty challenging the State when subjected to preventive detention. Questions Government’s approach to police powers Alexis also directed criticism towards the current administration, contrasting statements made about the police while members of the administration were outside government with the additional authority granted to law enforcement under emergency measures. He questioned how political leaders could previously acknowledge concerns surrounding the police service and subsequently entrust law enforcement with extraordinary powers. His comments represent his political assessment of the Government’s approach to crime and policing. The 2026 State of Emergency was declared in March and subsequently extended by Parliament for a further three months in June. The emergency framework gave authorities powers beyond those normally available to law enforcement, including preventive detention provisions. Alexis warned in his video that he believes Trinidad and Tobago must carefully consider the balance between fighting crime and protecting constitutional and legal safeguards. He went as far as questioning whether the country could move away from democratic protections if citizens become afraid to criticise authorities. A familiar name in Enterprise Alexis is also the son of the late Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis, the Enterprise businessman and controversial community figure who was killed in 2016. Keron Alexis himself has appeared publicly at several points over the years. Following violence affecting his family and the Enterprise community, Alexis previously publicly rejected retaliation and called for police intervention to address bloodshed in the area. That history provides a notable backdrop to his latest comments, in which he is now strongly critical of sections of the police service following his own detention. In 2023, Alexis was also injured during a police-involved shooting in Chaguanas. Police at the time gave their account of the incident and reported recovering a firearm, ammunition and cocaine from the vehicle involved. His latest comments, however, concern the separate preventive detention imposed on him in 2026. Says community work was overlooked Alexis also used his statement to push back against the characterisation of him contained in the detention allegations. He pointed to what he described as community and charitable initiatives associated with his organisation and social-media presence, including fundraising for back-to-school assistance and support for hospital and cancer patients. Those specific charitable claims were made by Alexis in his video and have not been independently verified for this report. For Alexis, his release has not ended the wider issue. He indicated that he intends to speak further about his experience and other aspects of the preventive detention system in subsequent videos. His latest statement follows an earlier public discussion involving former detainees in which concerns were raised about prolonged detention, employment, families, access to legal representation and what happens when detainees are eventually released without charges. Alexis’s case now forms part of the wider national debate over how Trinidad and Tobago should balance extraordinary crime-fighting measures against due process and individual rights. For now, Alexis says he is still processing what happened during the months he spent detained. His central question is one he says extends beyond his own case: how much authority should the State give law enforcement to deprive someone of their liberty before that person is required to answer a criminal charge in court?