The United States has imposed sanctions on four Guyanese nationals and two Colombian nationals for their involvement in trafficking large quantities of cocaine from South America to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. This move underscores the U.S. government's commitment to combating drug trafficking and safeguarding its citizens.
The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) played a key role in supporting the investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which led to these sanctions. The action was coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
In August 2024, DSS and DEA assisted Guyanese authorities in uncovering 4.4 tons of cocaine hidden underground at a clandestine airfield in northwestern Guyana near the Venezuelan border. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs provided specialized training through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative to several specialized counternarcotics units in Guyana involved in this successful operation.
These sanctions are enacted under Executive Order 14059, targeting the spread of illicit drugs and their production methods. For further details on these designations, refer to Treasury's press release.
