Intelligence agency ramps up tech-driven security to shield borders, resources, citizens

The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), responsible for coordinating the State’s defence and law enforcement activities, works alongside other law enforcement agencies using drones, CCTV, satellite imagery, and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to detect patterns. Speaking during this week’s ‘Safeguarding the Nation’ programme, Director of NISA Colonel Sheldon Howell noted that the agency has increased monitoring of its land, sea, and airspace.
To protect Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from external threats, he noted that “especially near our oil exploration installations, we have increased maritime patrols and our domain awareness, supported deeply by our international partners like the United States (US) and our regional allies.”
This measure, he said, “helps to pull the intelligence together so if something suspicious happens, there is no time lost in coordinating the response, and these are not just plans; they’re happening now.”
Also at sea, NISA is now using sophisticated state-of-the-art coastal radars and Automatic Identification System (AIS) systems to protect and provide real-time monitoring. The Director also noted that, within the past year, several illegal mining and logging operations were shut down in Regions Seven, Eight and Nine in collaboration with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Furthermore, many gold smuggling operations were intercepted in the riverine areas, as well as unregulated dredging, particularly in the border areas.
“In this regard, we’ve deployed forward operating units to act quickly before any damage is done. Out in our seas, our Coast Guard, the Police Marine Wing, the Maritime Administration Department, and the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit are protecting our marine resources from illegal fishing vessels, especially from Venezuela, to illegal drug trafficking and armed trafficking groups,” he explained.
In addition to the ongoing surveillance works, the NISA Director is encouraging citizens to report any sightings of illegal dredging, illegal mining or a foreign vessel.
Colonel Howell recalled instances where drones were used to spot illegal airstrips in Guyana’s vast interior lands, intercept illegal Venezuelan vessels in Guyana’s waters and track the movement of people across borders.
“To sum it up, the architecture protects our people, it protects this nation, because this is not the job for only one group, it’s for all of us…When drones spotted illegal airstrips and mining camps deep in Region Nine, we were able to deploy teams quickly to shut down those illegal operations, thanks to community information as well as aerial surveillance. Another one is when Venezuelan illegal vessels cross into our waters. We have radar systems and coastal surveillance systems, along with GPS top patrols, that let us intercept these vessels and protect our territory,” he said.

The NISA Director added that in the city, “CCTV cameras and a new e-ticketing system help to reduce traffic violations and assist in police investigations [while] in our hinterlands, we use cross-border tracking systems that allow us to track movements of people, which helps to understand potential threats.”
NISA was established in 2010 and renamed in 2017. In 2023, its roles and functions were put into legislation through the NISA Bill as part of a broader effort to strengthen Guyana’s national security framework.
Its central hub is the Command Centre, through which data collected is processed and disseminated to local agencies and international partners, such as the US, United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, France, and those in the Caribbean and Latin America, according to the Director.
On Tuesday, he responded to privacy concerns expressed by some people as the Government recently installed more CCTV cameras along the coast and piloted the use of drones in the city.
“This is a valid concern, even for me…and we take this very seriously… we stick rigidly to the laws that govern us. Every piece of equipment is logged and audited, and there is no access to footage without traceability. We also have strict access control and oversight systems, and soon we’ll have an oversight board with civil society voices,” he assured.
He added that the agency has upgraded its response mechanism for missing persons, especially children. Soon, it will have a national alert system that sends view time information to people’s phones, TVs, radios and social media platforms.
“These tools are not threats. Once it’s used with discipline, purpose will earn the public’s trust. We don’t want to take away people’s freedom. We want to protect it,” the Director added. NISA, along with other law enforcement agencies, reports to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who serves as the Commander-in-Chief and Chair of the Defence Board and the National Security Council (NSC).