By Staff Writer, NewsAmericas Now

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. July 23, 2026: U.S. Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad, who was killed in action on July 17 during an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, was an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago.

Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, Queens, was reportedly killed during an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, according to the Department of War. She was born in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to New York at age 5 with her mother, an American citizen, and an older sister. Her Trinidad-born father remained in Trinidad.

She grew up in Ozone Park, NY, and taught herself to play drums, sang in her church choir, and ran track and played softball at Forest Hills High School. An uncle who served in the military inspired her toward the Army, though her mother, Carol Acevedo, initially asked her to attend college first. Rampersad enrolled at CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice before enlisting at 21, around 2019, and re-enlisted last year. Her awards included the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

Remembered in Ozone Park

Members of a US Army carry team transports a flag-draped transfer case containing the remains of US Army Sergeant Angel S. Rampersad during a dignified transfer solemn event at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, US, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The US and Iran signaled they aren’t ready to return to the negotiating table after both countries escalated attacks deep into a second week of renewed fighting. Photographer: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

An American flag now flies at half-staff outside her family’s home in Queens, NY. Rampersad was one of four American service members killed in the attack, alongside Army 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas. A fourth soldier, Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of North Carolina, died separately while attempting to disarm a downed Iranian drone in Iraq. Their deaths bring the total number of American service members killed since the war with Iran escalated to 18.

Sgt. Rampersad was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command, Ansbach, Germany.

The government of Trinidad and Tobago said Rampersad’s heritage gave her death “a particular resonance” for the nation, extending sympathies to her family, fellow service members and all those whose lives she touched.

In a statement released by her family, Rampersad was remembered as “a gentle giant” who “stood up for those who couldn’t fight for themselves – a defender, a friend,” and who “loved her family fiercely and will live on in the hearts of everyone she touched.”

“Today, we mourn the loss of Sgt. Angel Rampersad,” said Brig. Gen. Glenn Henke, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, in a statement.

Rampersad’s family traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday for the dignified transfer of her remains alongside those of the three other fallen service members, a ceremony attended by President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and other officials also offered condolences, with Hochul saying, “New York, and our nation, are safer because of brave Americans like her who answer the call to serve” while New York City’s Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani stated: “Sgt. Rampersad’s courage and sacrifice will be remembered not just in Queens, but across all five boroughs. My deepest condolences are with her family, loved ones, and all those grieving this profound loss.”

Sergeant Rampersad was assigned to the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command, in Ansbach, Germany. Her father is a national of Trinidad and Tobago, while her mother is an American citizen.

“Her passing is therefore mourned with particular sorrow in Trinidad and Tobago. Though she served under the United States flag, Sergeant Rampersad also shared a meaningful connection with our nation through her Trinidad and Tobago heritage.,” said Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamala Persad-Bissessar. On Tuesday July 21st, a team from the Consulate General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in New York visited Sergeant Rampersad’s family to express the nation’s sympathies and offer support.

The Ozone Park Residents Block Association planned a candlelight vigil outside Rampersad’s family home this week, with neighbors describing her as someone whose sense of duty and warmth touched the wider community well beyond her own family.

NewsAmericasNow extends its condolences to Sgt. Rampersad’s family and the entire Trinidadian and Trinidadian-American community during this difficult time.

RELATED: Guyana – US Pushes To Lead Guyana’s Energy Future As Country’s Aging Ferry Fleet Turns Deadly

By Staff Writer, NewsAmericas Now

News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Weds. July 22, 2026: The confirmed death toll from Saturday’s Guyana Ferry Disaster has risen to 53, with roughly 50 people still unaccounted for, as search and rescue teams continue combing the waters off Guyana’s coast and near the place where the MV Barima sank.

Guyana Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips said investigations have established that 179 people, and not 133, were aboard the MV Barima when it capsized roughly seven miles offshore near the mouth of the Pomeroon River Saturday night – a figure he said is unlikely to change significantly. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, authorities had verified 76 people rescued and 53 bodies recovered, with 26 positively identified so far, leaving approximately 50 people still unaccounted for.

Sixteen vessels remain deployed within the wreckage area, and the search zone has been expanded by an additional 400 square miles, extending up to Waini Point. French and local divers, including a 15-member team from the French Armed Forces in French Guiana, continue underwater search and recovery operations at the wreckage site. Bodies recovered are being transferred to Guyana Police Force custody at a facility established at the Charity River Dam, with identification carried out by family members at Suddie Hospital.

Members of the Guyana Coast Guard are working tirelessly with local fishermen and private boat owners in the search.

Captain, crew member test positive for cannabis

Separately, the captain of the MV Barima and another crew member have tested positive for cannabis and been arrested, authorities disclosed this week. Phillips said blood samples were drawn from both men following the capsizing, and that the results were released to the public as soon as they were confirmed. He said the disclosure reflected the government’s commitment to transparency, noting that when investigators separately determined more people had been aboard the vessel than listed on its manifest, that information was also released promptly.

“This remains a search and rescue operation”

Phillips pushed back against treating the disaster as settled, telling the public that recovering bodies does not mean the government has given up hope of finding survivors. “Notwithstanding the fact that we are recovering bodies, we still have hope that people are out there who are alive, and therefore we continue our search and rescue activities,” he said, urging the public to approach the tragedy with sensitivity and avoid circulating unverified reports, photos or videos.

A separate investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the capsizing, which the government has said will be full and transparent.

Three days of national mourning

President Irfaan Ali has declared three days of national mourning, from Wednesday, July 22, through Friday, July 24, with the national flag flown at half-mast on government buildings across the country. Wednesday has been designated a National Day of Prayer, with a Day of Prayer and Remembrance held at the Kingston Seawall in Georgetown. A Night of Reflection and Prayer follows in Port Kaituma on Thursday and in Mabaruma on Friday. The government has encouraged religious organizations, civic groups and citizens nationwide to hold candlelight vigils during the mourning period.

NewsAmericasNow will continue following the search and rescue operation and the investigation into the MV Barima disaster.

RELATED: Guyana: The MV Barima Tragedy Puts The Spotlight On A Decades-Old Issue – An Aging Ferry Fleet

By NAN Staff Writer, NewsAmericas Now

News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Tues. July 21, 2026: As search teams continue looking for dozens still missing after the MV Barima capsized off Guyana’s coast on July 20th, the disaster is renewing attention on a challenge Guyana’s ferry system has faced for more than 15 years: an aging fleet that has been repeatedly patched rather than replaced.

The Guyana government confirmed Monday that the confirmed death toll has risen to 27 as 83 persons remain unaccounted for. The identification process, involving relatives, is being carried out at Suddie Hospital.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center deployed 13 assets from first light Monday and declared that 69 people, including passengers and crew members, have been rescued. The government says it remains fully committed to the search and continues deploying all available resources to account for everyone who was aboard. The government also said the ferry’s location was identified not by its own military or divers, but at 13:31 hrs today by a fisherman – Haresh Singh, who had earlier assisted in rescue efforts yesterday.

International assistance has since joined the operation. President Irfaan Ali announced Monday that a 15-member team from the French Armed Forces in French Guiana, including 12 specialist divers, two medics and a mechanic, had arrived in Guyana to help with the search, rescue and recovery effort. The team is led by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Touboul. The ferry capsized roughly seven miles offshore near the mouth of the Pomeroon River. As of the latest count, 67 people have been rescued and 10 confirmed dead, with the Guyana Defense Force, Coast Guard, private vessels and local fisherfolk continuing to scour the area, including the privately owned vessel Gilligan Island.

Port Kaituma residents began publicly calling for a newer, faster vessel as early as 2010, citing disruptions that caused losses for passengers and local businesses. By 2015, government officials were openly acknowledging that the MV Barima and other ferries serving the North-West District were aging and needed urgent attention. Then-Cabinet Secretary Joseph Harmon, under the David Granger government, said at the time that the old vessels should not remain in service much longer, citing unreliable transportation and its effect on residents, businesses and the movement of goods from Region One. The administration announced plans that year to lease a ferry and acquire two new vessels for the route.

Those plans didn’t result in the MV Barima’s retirement. Instead, in 2017, the government spent 150.6 million Guyanese dollars rehabilitating the vessel – work on its hull, propellers and rudders, two new engines, and improvements to passenger accommodation. The 87-year-old ship, built in Scotland in 1939, remained in active service for nearly another decade until it capsized on July 19 while traveling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma with some 133 people aboard, along with cargo.

Minister pushes back on “unseaworthy” claims

Guyana’s Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, dismissed claims circulating publicly that the MV Barima was unseaworthy, telling reporters at a Sunday evening, July 20th press briefing that the vessel was operating within its routine maintenance schedule and was due for planned dry-docking later this year. Edghill said the ferry was last dry-docked in 2024 and was scheduled for its next dry-docking in the latter half of 2026, alongside the MV Malali and MB Hercules. He said public reports suggesting the vessel had been declared unfit for service were inaccurate.

A fleet of similar age

The MV Barima was far from the only aging vessel in Guyana’s Transport and Harbours Department fleet.

The MV Malali, built in 1962, and the MV Makouria, built in 1959, remain technically active but are prone to frequent mechanical breakdowns and parts shortages. The Malali primarily serves the Parika-to-Bartica route, while the Makouria now operates mainly as an infrequent backup.

The MV Kanawaima, which has handled the Guyana-Suriname crossing since 1998, is reportedly plagued by technical issues serious enough that the terminal has had to rent or swap in alternative tugs and barges to keep the route running.

The government has made some investments in modernizing parts of the fleet in recent years, commissioning the MV Ma Lisha in 2023 and the MV Konawaruk 1899 in December 2025, along with newer vessels serving the busier Essequibo routes. But those additions have not reached every route, and the money committed to the Barima itself went toward continued rehabilitation rather than replacement.

In March 2026, the Ministry of Public Works invited bids for a $440 million rehabilitation initiative covering three vessels – the MV Ma Lisha, the MV Barima and the MB Hercules – with $124.5 million specifically earmarked for further work on the Barima, according to a Department of Public Information notice at the time. Guyana’s 2025 budget had allocated 9.9 billion Guyanese dollars for river transportation overall, rising to 11.2 billion dollars for 2026, but no purpose-built vessel intended to retire the Barima outright was funded in that plan.

In February 2025, President Irfaan Ali said the government was considering acquiring another ferry for the North-West District given rising travel demand, and later that year the administration acquired the Kalliopi N, a vessel that can carry 284 passengers and 51 vehicles, for the Georgetown-to-Region One route. It is unclear from public records whether that vessel had entered service, or was intended to replace the Barima specifically, at the time of Saturday’s disaster.

A pattern beyond one ship

Even as search and rescue operations continue, the broader fleet shows signs of ongoing strain. The Ministry of Public Works temporarily withdrew the MV Sabanto, one of two primary vessels on the heavily used Parika-to-Supenaam route, for urgent repairs this month. That leaves the MV Kanawan and the newly commissioned MV Konawaruk 1899 to carry the load on one of the country’s busiest crossings.

For the outlying Indigenous and rural communities in Regions One, Two and beyond that depend on these aging vessels for both transportation and the movement of cargo and produce, Saturday’s disaster raises a question that predates this weekend by well over a decade: how long a country can keep patching an aging fleet before the patches run out.

NewsAmericasNow will continue following the investigation into the MV Barima disaster and the state of Guyana’s ferry fleet.

RELATED: Over Four Dozen Missing After Guyana Ferry Disaster