The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned six individuals, including four Guyanese and two Colombian nationals, for their roles in trafficking cocaine from South America to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. These sanctions are part of efforts to combat drug trafficking networks using boats, narco-submarines, and covert airstrips.
Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender emphasized the administration's commitment to fighting cartels: “Under President Trump, this administration has achieved the most secure border in modern history. The Treasury Department continues to bring our unique tools and authorities to the fight against cartels and their affiliates." He added that OFAC will work closely with law enforcement and international partners like Guyana.
This action follows Executive Order 14059 targeting illicit drug proliferation. The investigation involved collaboration with several U.S. agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and others.
Guyana is a key location due to its proximity to major drug routes and reported corruption at its ports and borders. This environment allows traffickers to move large quantities of cocaine through rivers and jungles undetected.
Significant seizures have occurred recently; in March 2025, police found 182 kilograms of cocaine on a vessel originating from Guyana in Trinidad and Tobago waters. Another seizure in August 2024 uncovered 4.4 tons of cocaine at a clandestine airfield in Guyana’s Barima-Waini region.
Key figures targeted by these sanctions include Paul Daby Jr., Randolph Duncan, Mark Cromwell, Himnauth Sawh from Guyana, as well as Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo and Manuel Salazar Gutierrez from Colombia. These individuals are accused of facilitating drug trafficking operations through bribery and managing clandestine airstrips.
As a result of these sanctions, any property or interests belonging to these individuals within the United States or controlled by U.S. persons are blocked. Transactions involving these assets are generally prohibited unless authorized by OFAC.
OFAC stresses that while sanctions aim not only at punishment but also at encouraging positive change in behavior, violations can lead to civil or criminal penalties for both U.S. and foreign entities involved with designated persons.
For more details on those designated today or how entities can seek removal from sanction lists, OFAC provides guidance on their official channels.
