The Guyanese government says it “will continue to work diligently” with the United States after the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a number of named Guyanese and foreign nationals as a result of continuing investigations into the use of Guyana as a place for transshipment of drugs to the North American country.
In a statement, Georgetown said that it welcomes the “significant development” in the actions taken on Thursday by OFAC after the US agency-imposed sanctions against Guyana Police Force (GPF) Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, among others, for drug trafficking.
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“In reference to this development, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has taken note and sent Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh on Administrative Leave with immediate effect to facilitate further investigations. Further action will certainly follow,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in the statement.
It said through the Attorney General’s Office, the government will request details from OFAC through the Department of Justice, “a component of the United States government, to facilitate further investigations.
“The details will guide the actions of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and, by extension, the Government of Guyana.”
The Guyana government said it “remains unwavering in its commitment to eradicating drug trafficking and dismantling criminal networks that facilitate these illegal activities.
“Through robust enforcement strategies and enhanced monitoring measures, authorities will continue to fully pursue and prosecute offenders. This underscores the government’s dedication to preserving the integrity of the nation’s security interests.
“Further, the government of Guyana, with the support of the government of the United States, will continue to pool efforts to combat this threat. Guyana will continue to demonstrate its commitment to working with the US in the fight against drug trafficking.”
The ministry said that this was evident when the US and Guyana’s Joint Inter-Agency Task Force, including the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) collaborated to seize 4.4 metric tons of cocaine worth approximately US$195,000,000 in September 2024, the country’s largest ever drug seizure.
“The government of Guyana will continue to work diligently with the US counterparts on this matter and other matter of mutual interests,” the statement said.
Sawh was the Divisional Commander for Region One (Barima-Waini) when, with US support, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) extracted 4.4 tons of cocaine, worth US$195 million, near an illegal airstrip near Mabaruma, North-West District.
OFAC said Sawh allegedly ensured “safe passage” to Colombian and Venezuelan traffickers through Region One. In September 2024, following the discovery of the cocaine in Region One, Sawh was removed as Divisional Commander of Region One and assigned to the GPF’s Transport Workshop, OFAC noted.
Three other Guyanese and two Colombians were sanctioned, but noted, among other things, that narco-trafficking was being done through Guyana’s interior.
“In August 2024, Guyanese authorities, with support from DEA and DSS (US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service), discovered 4.4 tons of cocaine in a clandestine airfield in the northwest region of Guyana known as Barima-Waini, or Region One, which shares a border with Venezuela. The cocaine was buried in underground bunkers about six feet deep.,” OFAC said.
Sawh was transferred less than one week to the vehicle workshop at Eve Leary and subsequently moved to the Special Projects Office. He was never charged with any offence.
The others named by OFAC as part of a drug trafficking ring are Guyanese Paul “Randell” Daby Jr of 127 D’Aguiar Park, Georgetown; former policeman Mark “Demon” Cromwell of Lot 40 Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, Guyana; Lot 10 Buxton, East Coast Demerara; Guyanese-Venezuelan Randolph “Rudolph” Duncan, and Colombians Manuel Gutierrez Salazar and Yeison Andrez Sanchez Vallejo.
OFAC alleged that Daby and Duncan operate the largest drug trafficking organizations in Guyana and rely on maritime vessels and aircraft to conceal and traffic cocaine, while also allegedly bribing Guyanese officials to facilitate their drug trafficking operations.
The US alleged that Daby Jr traffics ton-quantities of cocaine, coordinating the shipment of loads from Colombia and Venezuela via aircraft, and utilizing illegal airstrips in Guyana.
Washington also alleges that Daby Jr relies on a network of individuals to conceal and transport cocaine in shipping containers from the ports of Guyana and Suriname, added OFAC.
It said also that Daby Jr is involved in the transporting of illegal gold from Guyana via maritime vessels. Duncan, according to OFAC, allegedly traffics cocaine from Guyana to Africa and the Caribbean, with Europe and the United States as the ultimate destinations.
OFAC alleged that Cromwell is a violent drug trafficker and associate of Daby Jr.
None of the Guyanese named in the OFAC sanctions list on Thursday was ever knowingly arrested or charged in connection with the drug bust in Mabaruma.
OFAC said as a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 per cent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by US persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons.
The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person
Violations of US sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on US and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of US economic sanctions.
OFAC’s imposition of sanctions on the four Guyanese comes less than one year after Nazar “Shell” Mohamed and his son, presidential hopeful Azruddin Mohamed, were sanctioned allegedly for evasion of US$50 million in taxes due to Guyana for the exportation of more than 10,000 kilograms of gold. CMC
