One thing was certain–Mark Guerra was killed because he got too big for his shoes. Guerra was a top-ranking official of the Jamaat al Muslimeen when he was gunned down at his farm in Wallerfield on March 23, 2005. Known as Jaleel, Guerra lived in a sprawling mansion in John John, Laventille.
How did Guerra die?
There were several theories as to who killed the man known as the Laventille Don.
One theory was that he was killed by members of the Jamaat; a second was that he was murdered because he was involved in questionable transactions in the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) where he was a supervisor; a third was that his killing was a revenge for the murder of a gang leader. No one knows for sure.
Guerra's demise came after the killing of Deliene Long, the common-law wife of Neil "Big Neil" Lewis. Police suspected that Guerra had something to do with that killing and someone revenged it.
On the day in question, Guerra was at his farm when he was visited by three of his workers. While standing near his BMW PBL 3311, Guerra let his guard down and was casual in the way he chatted with the workers. A car with several men dressed in black and wearing ski masks pulled up and opened fire on the group.
The attack caused Guerra and the men to flee to nearby bushes. When the shooting stopped, the workers came out of the bushes, but Guerra was missing. A report was made to the Arima Police Station.
The police searched for hours and found Guerra's body in the Cumuto forest. Guerra was shot in the head and other parts of the body. Guerra, 47, was killed by a high-powered rifle. Guerra's car was also shot up. A man feared by many in John John, Laventille, and Morvant, was executed.
The Laventille don
Who was Mark Guerra? He joined the Jamaat in 1978. He lived in Trinidad and Brooklyn, New York. His life of crime started in Flatbush, Brooklyn, where he was involved in thuggery, including extortion.
When he was in Trinidad, he was involved in gang activities. Guerra's name surfaced in 1989 when he was suspected of being involved in the attack on the official car of then First Lady Zalayhar Hassanali, around the Queen's Park Savannah.
That attack, according to senior police officers, was a case of mistaken identity. The target was not Mrs Hassanali, but the then Prime Minister, ANR Robinson. Guerra was one of the persons who went to Libya for training and was described as an excellent marksman.
After that attack, Guerra went underground and then fled to New York. When Jamaat leader Yasin Abu Bakr and his men attempted to overthrow the Government in 1990, Guerra missed out, he was in the US.
Guerra stayed far away from Trinidad as Bakr and 113 members of the Jamaat were incarcerated for two years before they were released from custody. Guerra controlled a major drug block in the Brooklyn area, but fled to Trinidad in 1993 when he clashed with a feared Jamaican gang.
He seized the opportunity here and got involved in ghost gang transactions with NHA. Guerra became a top lieutenant with the Jamaat and was one of Bakr's trusted men. When the government established URP, Guerra got involved and became a highly paid supervisor, earning at least $150,000 a month through his shady dealings.
As time went by, Guerra gained control of the youths in John John and Laventille. He was the man in control of the area and everyone feared him. He soon owned a number of properties in certain areas and he was considered wealthy, owning a million dollar seven series BMW, and a $250,00 SUV.
Police believed Guerra was involved in several killings, but they were never able to pin anything on him. Witnesses were afraid to come forward and those who did, had to hide. In November 2001, Guerra and four men were arrested and charged with attempting to murder fruit vendor Dennis Chambers. But they were subsequently freed after Chambers refused to testify. Chambers had himself been acquitted of two murder charges.
Although he was involved in criminal activity, Guerra was the Santa Claus of his area, as he showered gifts to the less fortunate.
Guerra, who never received a formal education, lived like a king near the John John Towers. He had many wives, sired 13 children and as head of the Council of Community Leaders, wielded tremendous influence among the youths.
Guerra who often wore Muslim garb, a well-kept beard and sported a massive silver chain with the Islamic moon and star insignia, campaigned for the PNM in the marginal constituences in the 2002 general election. Just two days before his death, he was present at a PNM meeting in the Couva South constituency.
In 2002, Guerra was one of the persons who signed a truce on the Jamaat compound to stop the violence. He was one of the community leaders who met with Prime Minister Patrick Manning to complain about the appointment of former Flying Squad members as URP administrators.
