Attempted Robbery - The Caribbean Safety and Security Net

3512 – Attempted Robbery in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – St. Vincent – Kearton’s Bay

Incident Date: 2025-01-16 at 16:45

Event Type: Attempted Robbery

Stolen Items: None

Secured: Does not apply

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: Cruisers were returning to their yacht In Kearton's Bay, St. Vincent, after visiting Customs and Immigration. After exiting their taxi a boy aged about 10 years approached with a large butcher knife and demanded their bag. They rushed past to the beach where a man waiting to assist them with a mooring waited. They were taken back to their yacht without further incident.

January 16, 2025

3264 – Attempted Robbery in Colombia – Cabo de la Vela

Incident Date: 2024-03-27 at 20:30

Event Type: Attempted Robbery

Stolen Items: Unsuccessful

Secured: N/A

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A yacht made an unplanned stop at 1700HRS at Cabo de Las Vela to wait for more favorable sailing conditions, planning to depart at 0300HRS. No other yachts were anchored there. At 2030HRS they heard voices and found three masked men in a boat tied to their stern. Communications were difficult but the boarders were clearly told NO and asked, then told to leave. ||The boarders were becoming more aggressive. The crew had prepared with bear spray, and used it on the first man who continued his attempt to climb aboard. He retreated but a second man began to board. They were using/swinging large poles in an attempt to subdue the crew. Both crew then shot more bear spray and the 3 men finally retreated to their boat and departed. ||The crew made a VHF call (no response) and immediately departed.

March 27, 2024

3089 – Attempted Robbery in Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad – Chaguaramas – Anchorage

Incident Date: 2023-08-16 at 07:30

Event Type: Attempted Robbery

Stolen Items: not successful

Secured: Does not apply

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A fisherman boarded an anchored yacht uninvited while the captain was below in the galley. When the captain discovered his presence he pushed the intruder who dropped the items he had wrapped in a tshirt to steal and departed.||The fisherman returned 5 minutes later with a 50cm knife and attempted to retrieve the tshirt/items but was again repelled by the captain. He again paddled away. ||The captain launched his dinghy and located the fisherman, then called the police. The police confiscated the knife and then took the fisherman away. The victim went to the police station and made a report. ||Police released the fisherman several hours later, and advised the victim that nothing had been taken so no actual charges were made.

August 16, 2023

3031 – Attempted Robbery in Colombia – San Andres – San Andres Harbor

Incident Date: 2023-05-27 at 04:15

Event Type: Attempted Robbery

Stolen Items: None, not successful

Secured: Not Locked

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: After several weeks in the anchorage with several other occupied boats nearby, owners heard noise and discovered 2 men onboard their boat at 0415HRS. ||The leader was armed with a handgun and pointed it into the dark and unlocked companionway. The captain surprised and challenged him and the second man retreated immediately to join a third man who started the engine in their waiting speedboat. The leader also retreated when he apparently realized his companions might leave him behind. The attempted robbery was not successful, nothing was taken, and there were no injuries. || The crew shot off a flare to illuminate the departing criminals and immediately contacted authorities ashore. The police tracked the speedboat and detained a suspect. They recovered a weapon that is being tested for forensics. A formal report was made the next day to the Police and Port Captain as well as the Coast Guard and Navy. An investigation is underway.

May 27, 2023

2897 – Attempted Robbery in Saint Lucia – Anse Canaries

Incident Date: 2022-10-16 at 01:00

Event Type: Attempted Robbery

Stolen Items: None

Secured: Does not apply

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A cruising yacht with 2 persons onboard anchored for the night at Anse Canaries. No other cruising yachts were nearby. At 0100HRS they were awoken by noise and the captain went topsides and found 1 of 2 men on a kayak had boarded. The captain pushed the man into the water. The 2 men threatened the captain/crew by sharing their intention to return with a gun and kill them, and then departed.||The police were called, and the marine police arrived in less than 1 hour to take a report.||CSSN NOTE: An assault/armed robbery occurred in this anchorage in July 2022 as follows:||• DATE: 2022-07-08 20:00|LOCATION: Saint Lucia – Anse Canaries|EVENT: Robbery|HAND: 1|STOLEN ITEMS: Cash and personal electronics – tablet, cell phone|SECURED: Does not apply|DETAILS: At about 2000HRS two men armed with hand guns boarded a catamaran that had stopped for safe harbor overnight in the north end of Canaries Bay, St. Lucia, while on passage from Martinique to St Vincent. They held the singlehanding owner/captain at gunpoint in the salon and demanded cash and electronics that were readily surrendered. A demand for the “big money” was made but there was no large stash to surrender. After about 45 minutes the 2 left with what was assumed to be a third man who had remained in their boat. There were no injuries to the captain or damage to the yacht. The yacht departed at first light, no police report was made.|ID: 2848||And 2 assaults in nearby Soufriere in August 2022 , see 2876, and again in October 2022, see 2894

October 16, 2022

2768 – Attempted Robbery in Grenada – Grenada – Clarke’s Court Bay

Incident Date: 2022-03-28 at 05:25

Event Type: Attempted Robbery

Stolen Items: None, not successful

Secured: Does not apply

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: The captain of a yacht anchored near Woburn discovered 2 men onboard the deck of his yacht at 0530HRS. He challenged their presence verbally and made clear his willingness to discharge the flare he had pointed at them from 3 meters. They quickly retreated to their waiting pirogue, described as orange with a blue stripe. || The captain was not injured and the thieves were not successful. A police report was made.

March 28, 2022

2608 – Attempted Robbery in Guadeloupe (France) – Marie Galante – St. Louis

Incident Date: 2021-03-07 at 21:30

Event Type: Attempted Robbery

Stolen Items: nothing, not successful

Secured: Does not apply

Source Type: 2nd Hand Report

Incident Details: At 2130 hours 2 young men approached cruisers at the ferry dock and attempted to grab a backpack and demanded cash and phones. The cruisers resisted and began yelling and the robbery was abandoned. A police report was made.

March 7, 2021

2298 – Attempted Robbery in Panama – Portobello

Incident Date: 2019-01-13 at 23:00

Event Type: Attempted Robbery

Stolen Items: not successfully boarded, deterred by large dog

Secured: Does not apply

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A panga with 4+ men attempted to board a cruising yacht anchored in the bay at around 2300 HRS. Surprised, the owner came on deck and responded aggressively verbally, and was only able to dissuade the hostile boarders when his large, 60 lb. dog came on deck. Holstered pistols were visible to the captain.||After departing the panga lit up and then attempted to engage with another nearby yacht. The owner spoke Spanish and after much angry yelling the panga departed. Earlier this same night a cruising yacht was boarded by armed men, and the occupants pistol whipped and robbed at gun point. See Prior report. (LINK)

January 13, 2019

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