SVG Authorities Yet to Comment on Alleged Detention of Grenadian Vessel and Cargo 

By Admin. Updated 12:50 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4). 

Vincentian authorities have yet to publicly respond to allegations surrounding the interception and detention of a Grenadian vessel and its cargo, despite claims made by a Grenadian attorney that the incident raises questions about the application of international maritime law and has the potential to strain relations between the two neighbouring states.

One News SVG sought an official comment from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard on Saturday, July 18. However, the relevant senior personnel were unavailable, and no official statement had been provided up to the time of publication.

The matter first came to public attention through reports aired by Grenada’s MTV News, which featured criminal defence attorney Anselm Clouden, who is representing interests connected to the vessel.

During one of the interviews, Clouden warned that Grenada could respond in kind if the matter is not addressed.

“We can take retaliatory action against Vincentian ships that trade between Trinidad and St Vincent, where they sell all the tannia, dasheen and other vegetables when they traverse our territorial sea too. And it would create great inconvenience,” Clouden said.

The attorney’s comments reflect his personal legal and political opinion and do not indicate any official position by the Government of Grenada.

According to Clouden, the MV Pathfinder, a Grenadian-registered vessel, was intercepted by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard on Saturday, July 12, while transiting Vincentian territorial waters on its way to Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. He contends that the vessel was exercising its right of “innocent passage” under Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and that there was no lawful basis for its interception.

Clouden alleged that the vessel, which had departed Martinique after delivering a shipment of fish, was carrying a manifested cargo that included 1,664 bottles of Heineken beer and other merchandise destined for Grenada. He further claimed that authorities found nothing illegal on board and that there was no evidence the vessel posed a threat to the peace, good order or security of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

In an earlier interview with MTV News, Clouden said the vessel had been escorted to Union Island and remained detained. He also disclosed that he had written to Grenada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Andall, requesting that a formal diplomatic note of protest be lodged over what he described as the conduct of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard.

In a subsequent update carried by MTV News, Clouden stated that the MV Pathfinder had since been released. However, he claimed that the cargo remains in the custody of Vincentian authorities.

He said he had not received information indicating that legal proceedings had been initiated against the vessel’s captain or owner in relation to the cargo and indicated that legal representation had been sought in St Vincent and the Grenadines to determine the basis for its continued detention.

Clouden also alleged that this was not the first occasion on which a Grenadian vessel had been subjected to similar treatment while transiting Vincentian waters.

The allegations have generated discussion on social media, where some members of the public have questioned the absence of official information surrounding the reported incident. Others have expressed concern over what they perceive to be a lack of transparency by the authorities.

However, One News SVG has not independently verified the claims made by Clouden or MTV News, and no official explanation has yet been issued by the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Coast Guard, Customs and Excise Department, or any other relevant authority regarding the reported interception, release of the vessel, or continued detention of the cargo.

One News SVG will continue to seek official comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.

END