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Police Officer Dies in Custody While Awaiting US Extradition
By Aurax Radio | June 19, 2026 | 2 min read
A Police officer has died while being held in custody pending extradition proceedings to the United States. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death inside a prison cell.
The officer, identified as Raphael Joseph age 32, was found unresponsive in his cell at Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre (ERC). He was one of three Trinidad and Tobago nationals arrested on Dec. 30, 2025, during a joint operation involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Vetted Unit, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service's Special Investigative Unit and the Transnational Organized Crime Unit. Joseph, along with Michael McSween and Clevon Persad, was wanted under provisional arrest warrants linked to an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York alleging conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and firearms-related offences stemming from a 2024 DEA investigation.
At the time of his arrest, Joseph was an active-duty police officer attached to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and was being held pending extradition proceedings. Following the arrests, U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Dr. Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz described the operation as a significant example of cooperation between U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement agencies, while Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro confirmed Joseph's detention. Authorities have not indicated whether foul play is suspected in his death, and investigations remain ongoing..
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