Guyana recognised by US for work with int’l partners against drug trafficking

…new report urges Guyana to increase drug trafficking sentences

In a newly released report from the United States (US) State Department, Guyana was recognised for its demonstrated commitment to working with its international partners in the fight against drug trafficking, with 2024 featuring historically high drug seizures.

According to the 2025 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Guyana’s collaboration with the international community saw it launching the National Defence Institute (NDI). This was established with the aim of building security expertise through Guyana’s collaboration with CARICOM and US security and defence institutions.
The US State Department report spoke of Guyana’s National Drug Strategy 2022-2026, which it noted laid out strategic programmes that have been set up to guide not only Guyana’s drug fight, but also anti-money laundering efforts to ensure the proceeds of the drug trade are not integrated into the formal economy.
The report acknowledged that these efforts have also resulted in increased drug seizures throughout last year, particularly of cocaine. As much as 6,700 kilograms (kg) of cocaine were seized for the period of January to September 2024 – a large increase compared to 62 kg that were seized during the same period in 2023.
“In 2024, the United States and Guyana’s Joint Interagency Task Force, including its Defence Force (GDF), collaborated to seize 4.4 Metric Tonnes (MT) of cocaine worth approximately $195,000,000 – the country’s largest ever drug seizure,” the report stated.
The report also noted “the interception of a self-propelled semisubmersible (SPSS) approximately 150 miles off the coast of Guyana with 2.3 MT of cocaine. Authorities also found a low-profile vessel (LPV), empty and abandoned in the waterways near Port Kaituma, near the Venezuelan border.”
Meanwhile, a total of 1.4 MT of marijuana was seized last year, versus the 1.1 MT that was seized during the same period in 2023. While more cocaine than marijuana was seized in Guyana, the report notes that marijuana remains a more prevalent drug when it comes to domestic use in Guyana.

“Weakest link”
The report also contained a number of recommendations, ranging from enhancing law enforcement and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), (which it called the “weakest link” in anti-money laundering), to increased drug trafficking sentences. The report expressed concern with several occurrences in law enforcement, one of which was that “authorities often drop charges or never file them and do not conduct serious investigations; (thus) traffickers are able to evade prosecution.”
“The Government can fight drug trafficking by enhancing law enforcement and customs capability through port security improvements, intelligence operations with regional and international partners, implementing stronger anticorruption measures, and strengthening its legislation relating to drug trafficking sentencing, to make it less attractive,” the report stated.
It was only recently that a major drug bust spearheaded by the GPF, resulted in the seizure of more than 211 kg of suspected cocaine during a series of intelligence-driven operations in the Imbotero area of Region One (Barima-Waini).
In total, the operation resulted in the seizure of 211.7 kg of suspected cocaine (approximately 465.7 pounds), which has an estimated street value of $317.55 million. Four persons were taken into police custody.
Of the 6,700 kg of substances confiscated and destroyed last year by the Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU), cocaine accounts for more than 90 per cent of the findings. This was followed by cannabis and methamphetamine respectively, with these drugs amounting to some $5.6 billion.
For the year 2024, a total of 71 cases were made with regards to illegal substances from which there were 82 arrests. This was a decrease from the previous year, whereby there were 93 cases made. Additionally, 54 charges were laid last year in relation to drug trafficking, with 11 being either withdrawn or dismissed.