“I will not succumb to blackmail” – President Ali to Mohamed family threats over extradition proceedings

…says farm legally acquired, predates presidency, assets declared

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Sunday said that he is being blackmailed by United States-(US) sanctioned and indicted-Mohamed family into easing pressures on them regarding the ongoing extradition proceedings. On Sunday, Azruddin Mohamed shared a video talking about President Ali’s farm, making a series of allegations. However, the Head of State said on Sunday that prior to these false allegations, he had received a number of communications from the Mohameds over the past weeks threatening to release certain information if amends were not made. The President indicated these messages were received from the elder, Nazar Mohamed, as recent as last week. The senior Mohamed is demanding that the President make amends with the family otherwise they would be releasing certain recordings regarding his farm. According to the President, he is willing to make these messages public so that persons can view the contents. Ali made it clear on Sunday that he would not succumb to pressure or blackmail from anyone. Moreover, the Guyanese Leader explained that there is nothing illegal regarding his farm, which was obtained prior to him entering office. In fact, this can be verified through banking records and other official documentations that would show the property acquisition predated Ali’s presidency. It was further noted that the farm has never received any special benefits, preferential treatment or assistance from the Government of Guyana, either before or after he reassumed office. At no point have State funds, public resources or Government assets been used in relation to this investment. Moreover, the Guyanese Leader said that his farm was part of his asset declarations to the Integrity Commission, as required by law. Additionally, President Ali’s passion for agriculture and farming is well-known not only locally but internationally as well as he continues to champion innovation and modernising the sector. In fact, not only is he leading CARICOM’s food security drive but has also been awarded by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) for his work in transforming agriculture and leading regional efforts to reduce food imports. Only over the weekend, Ali spoke of his involvement in agriculture while addressing hundreds of farmers during the cash subsidy distribution exercise held in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). Speaking with farmers about crop diversification, the Head of State said, “I am not telling you about agriculture from a position of not walking the walk. Because I went to the bank long now. I took loans upon loans because I invest in agriculture. I love agriculture. So I’m not speaking to you from a tower that I don’t know what to go through. But I’m also saying to you that there are new ways of doing things that we have to embrace.”

Sanctioned & indicated
Azruddin and his father, Nazar Mohamed have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 11 criminal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. The charges are related to alleged irregularities in gold exports to the US through their company, Mohamed’s Enterprises. The US has requested the extradition of the Mohameds to face the indictments. The extradition proceedings are currently pending in the local courts. The Mohameds are accused of conspiring to defraud the US and Guyanese Governments between 2017 and June 11, 2024. They are also accused of using a scheme to unlawfully obtain property by transmitting communications via interstate and foreign commerce, in violation of US law. According to US prosecutors, the scheme aimed to enrich the Mohameds and defraud the Government of Guyana by evading taxes and royalties on gold exports. They allegedly reused Guyana customs declarations and official seals on multiple shipments to make it appear that taxes and royalties had been paid.
The indictment stated that Mohamed’s Enterprise would pay taxes and receive official Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Guyana Gold Board (GGB) seals for one shipment, then reuse those same seals and documents on subsequent, untaxed shipments. The indictment further alleges that the Mohameds arranged for empty wooden boxes bearing intact GRA and GGB seals to be shipped from gold buyers in Dubai to Miami and then sent to Guyana. These boxes were then used to export gold while falsely appearing to have cleared customs and tax obligations. US authorities allege the scheme resulted in more than US$50 million in lost taxes and royalties to the Government of Guyana. Additional indictments detail similar conduct involving shipments of gold, emails allegedly from Nazar Mohamed requesting the sealed boxes from Miami, and exports of over 165 kilograms (kg) of gold per shipment destined for Dubai. Charges six to nine focus on mail fraud, referencing the shipment of sealed empty boxes from Dubai to Miami, while charge 10 addresses money laundering, which alleges that the Mohameds knowingly transferred funds within the US with the intent to promote unlawful activity.
The other charge has to do with Azruddin Mohamed purchasing and importing a Lamborghini sports car to Guyana in 2020. The indictment alleges he directed someone to purchase the car for US$680,000, then falsify the invoice to state a value of US$75,300 to understate import taxes. If convicted, most charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and fines of up to US$250,000, while the money laundering charge carries a fine of US$500,000 or the value of the laundered property. The US Government is seeking forfeiture of certain assets connected to the accused and has since assigned asset forfeiture specialist Assistant US Attorney Joshua Paster to join the case involving the two Guyanese businessmen in the Florida Court, pending their extradition. These indictments follow sanctions imposed over a year ago by the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on the Mohameds, their businesses, and Guyanese Government Permanent Secretary (PS) Mae Thomas in relation to the same allegations. The sanctions are related to the evasion of taxes on gold exports, with OFAC noting that between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10,000 kg of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana.
Since the imposition of the sanctions in June 2024, the Guyana Government has suspended the licences of the Mohameds’ various businesses, highlighting that the US-sanctioned businessman is a risk and a threat to Guyana’s financial stability, sovereignty, and diplomacy. Subsequently, several Government entities and local businesses, including commercial banks, have cut ties with the Mohameds.
Azruddin founded the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party in June 2025 – one year after the sanctions were imposed – and contested the September 2025 General and Regional Elections, securing a seat in Parliament as Leader of the Opposition. In October, a 25-page indictment was unsealed in the Florida court, charging the father and son businessmen. The US Government subsequently issued an extradition request to Guyana for the duo to face the charges there. At present, the Mohameds are out on $150,000 bail each as they continue to fight their extradition. The case before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, remains effectively frozen until the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) delivers its ruling on an appeal challenging the legality of the ministerial decision that triggered the case. Until that ruling is delivered, the interim stay remains in effect, and the extradition proceedings in Guyana will not proceed beyond their current stage.