Two officers of the US Secret Service in tactical fatigue, patrol the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain Friday minutes after the arrival of US president Barrack Obama (Guardian photo)

Obama arrived at the delivery entrance of the hotel around 3.49 pm. The last-minute change, according to a Secret Service agent, was made on the basis that everyone was sure Obama would have used the front entrance of the hotel. A change was made on the arrival of the US President for security reasons, said one Secret Service agent.

“This in itself was a security risk and we could not have allowed it to happen. It is not that we did not want the press to see Mr Obama. It was a matter of security and we had to look at it very seriously,” said the officer from a black heavily tinted SUV used by Secret Service personnel.

Security in and around the Hyatt was at its tightest following the arrival of Obama and Venezuela President Hugo Chavez.

Officers of the Secret Service, FBI, CIA and ATF patrolled the hotel minutes before the formal opening of the Summit. Forming part of the security detail were officers from the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB), Special Branch (SB), local and regional security officials.

In the waters off the Hyatt Regency Hotel, two US frigates patrolled the Gulf with vessels from the T&T Coast Guard, Barbados, Jamaica, Brazil and Bahamas.

On board the Caribbean Princess and Carnival Victory cruise ships were Secret Service agents who were on the alert for explosives and weaponry, along with officers of the T&T Police Service who scoured every deck of the cruise liners.

Hot spots in and around Port-of-Spain were relatively quiet as police and soldiers kept a close eye on things. Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert said the only crime-related incident reported in Trinidad between Thursday night and Friday afternoon was a fight among three women in Carenage.

Philbert was on patrol with officers in the Carenage area when he noticed the fight on the Western Main Road, Carenage. Philbert reportedly intervened and detained the three women himself. “I am pleased that so far we have had no major incidents in and out of the Summit.

“This morning (Friday) we had minor hiccups but we have rectified the situation and have moved on full speed ahead,” said Philbert as he supervised the arrival of Heads of State and Governments outside the hotel on Friday.