US experts help boost Guyana’s forensic, fentanyl detection capabilities
A team of United States (US) forensic science experts has completed a week-long technical assessment of the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL), as the country intensifies efforts to achieve international accreditation for its forensic services.
The initiative, spearheaded by the US Embassy in Georgetown and the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), ran from July 14 to 18. It was conducted in partnership with the Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), a US-based organisation specialising in security sector development.
The SCG team evaluated the GFSL’s readiness to meet standards set by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), critical benchmarks for forensic laboratories worldwide.
Throughout the visit, SCG experts engaged with a wide cross-section of Guyana’s criminal justice stakeholders, including the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department, police prosecutors, and forensic units at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Discussions also involved representatives from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Pan American Development Foundation, and others.
The effort forms part of a new US-funded initiative under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), aimed at enhancing the GFSL’s capacity to produce more timely, reliable, and admissible forensic evidence, including DNA, in support of successful investigations and prosecutions.
According to the US Embassy, SCG will provide targeted support to develop the GFSL’s capabilities in narcotics and synthetic drug detection, evidence handling, and inter-agency cooperation. This includes building links with the US-supported Regional Forensic Science Centre of Excellence in Saint Lucia and accredited forensic labs in the Dominican Republic and The Bahamas.
The collaboration is seen as a strategic advancement in US-Guyana security cooperation, following the March 27 visit of US Secretary of State Michael Rubio to Georgetown.
During that visit, Secretary Rubio and Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to expand security collaboration on key issues, including narcotics interdiction and the fight against transnational organised crime.
“I’m grateful for INL and SCG’s expertise and the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory’s strong commitment to forensic excellence,” said US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot. “The United States stands firm in our support for Guyana to reduce criminality and prosecute transnational criminals who seek to destabilise our countries and communities. This new INL initiative marks an exciting milestone for the United States and Guyana under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and the recently signed US-Guyana Security Cooperation MOU.”
Launched in 2010, the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative is a regional security partnership between the US and 13 Caribbean countries, including Guyana. Its core objectives are to combat narcotics trafficking, dismantle organised criminal networks, and strengthen regional security frameworks.
