Mobil Service Station deadly bombing: 7 suspects remanded on terrorism charges

Four Venezuelans and three Guyanese who were slapped with terrorism-related charges were on Wednesday remanded to prison.
Apparent mastermind, Venezuelan national Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday alongside three co-defendants, Venezuelans Alexander Bettancourt and Johnny Boodram, and Guyanese Krystal LaCruz.
Poedemo’s charge stated that he, with intent to threaten the security and sovereignty of Guyana or to strike terror among its people, used an explosive device at the Mobil Fuel Station at Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, resulting in the death of a six-year-old girl.
His three accomplices were charged with aiding, abetting, and assisting in the deadly attack.
None of the four were required to enter pleas for the indictable offences, and all were remanded to prison until November 12.
Meanwhile, in a separate hearing held virtually before Magistrate Alisha George in Court Six, three other defendants, Guyanese Wayne Correia, 44, a farmer and part-time mechanic from Pomeroon; Ramesh Pramdeo, 51, a taxi driver; and Venezuelan Jennifer Rodriguez, 33, were charged in connection with the bombing.
They were also charged with aiding, abetting, and assisting Poedemo in the deadly attack.
On advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Correia, Pramdeo and Rodriguez were charged separately in the magisterial districts where their alleged offences were committed and were remanded until November 24.
Investigators allege that Poedemo, who reportedly entered Guyana illegally on the morning of the attack, orchestrated a highly coordinated operation involving both Venezuelan and Guyanese nationals. Police claim that between 11:00h and noon on the day of the bombing, Poedemo and his accomplices conducted surveillance at the fuel station to prepare for the attack. Later in the day, he allegedly attempted to conceal an explosive device in a garbage bin near the gas cylinder storage area. When stopped by an employee, he placed the device nearby and fled moments before the explosion. CCTV footage and digital evidence, including photos of the explosive and clothing believed to have been worn during the attack, were recovered from a house in Vergenoegen, Region Three (Essequibo Island – West Demerara), where Poedemo was later arrested.
Investigators allege that Bettancourt crossed into Guyana with Poedemo and assisted in carrying out parts of the plan, while Boodram, a 27-year-old taxi driver, transported some of the suspects to the gas station hours before the explosion in what authorities believe was a surveillance exercise.
Boodram’s attorney, Mikel Puran, told the court that his client had no knowledge of any planned act of terror and was simply fulfilling a routine taxi hire arranged by LaCruz, a frequent customer.
LaCruz, who reportedly shared an intimate relationship with Poedemo, is accused of coordinating the group’s movements, facilitating their travel, and assisting with planning logistics leading up to the attack.
According to investigators, Correia contacted Pramdeo to transport LaCruz and another Venezuelan from Parika to a hotel in Meten-Meer-Zorg. Pramdeo allegedly accepted payment in cash, believed to be the proceeds of raw gold worth over $600,000, and later drove Bettancourt and Poedemo to meet LaCruz. Rodriguez is accused of assisting in coordinating the group’s movements and communications before the attack.
Wednesday’s hearings took place under extraordinary security measures at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Armed officers patrolled the compound on foot and in vehicles, restricting public access, while the accused were escorted under tight guard.
The defendants arrived in three separate vehicles, two carrying the men and one carrying the women. The female suspects were handcuffed together, while the men were shackled.
The attack has provoked national outrage and condemnation from the highest levels of Government. President Dr Irfaan Ali described the bombing as “a vile assault on Guyana”, vowing that justice would be carried out to the fullest extent of the law. Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond reiterated the Government’s determination to hold those responsible accountable, emphasising that the administration intends to seek the death penalty for anyone convicted under Guyana’s Anti-Terrorism Act.
The blast claimed the life of a six-year-old, Soraya Bourne, and has left the nation in shock, with authorities describing it as a deliberate and meticulously planned act of terror, with the investigation ongoing.
Police are tracing cross-border movements, financial transactions, and potential networks that may have facilitated the attack.
The incident has also raised public concern about border security and criminal activity linked to regional instability. As the accused await their upcoming court appearances later this month, the tragic death of the young girl continues to resonate deeply across Georgetown and beyond.