WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. government has imposed sanctions on four Guyanese nationals and two Colombians for trafficking tons of cocaine from South America to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean.
The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control's sanctions target drug traffickers utilizing boats and narco-subs to traffic tons of cocaine, along with an alleged corrupt Guyanese law enforcement official. The sanctions also target individuals that are operating covert airstrips to traffic drugs via aircraft.
For decades, drug smugglers have used Guyana as a transshipment point for the movement of drugs from South America to the United States, with Mexican drug cartels also maintaining a presence in the region. International cocaine trafficking remains a serious threat to the United States, as the substantial profits generated from these sales continue to fund and strengthen cartel operations.
Guyana's proximity to the Caribbean, as well as alleged corruption along its ports and borders, allows aircraft and maritime vessels, also known as narco-submarines, to transit through its waters undetected. Drug traffickers exploit the rivers and jungles of South America by transporting large quantities of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela through Guyana and Suriname. Guyana is a close partner of the United States in combating narcotics trafficking; nevertheless, according to a 2025 State Department International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, corruption in Guyana poses a significant obstacle to its efforts to combat drug trafficking.
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