– Says gov’t has demonstrated credibility by charging individuals at all levels
Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has welcomed the United States Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), stating that accounting for biases, the repoet largely recognises Guyana’s progress in drug enforcement, anti-money laundering and transparency efforts.
In the 2025 report, Guyana was praised for its strong cooperation with the U.S law enforcement agencies in denting the illegal drug trade.
The report pointed out that the largest drug seizure in history occurred in 2024, with some 4.4 metric tons of cocaine worth US$195 million intercepted by the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU). This was done through a joint operation with US law enforcement agencies.
In April 2024, too, a self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel, commonly called a narco-submarine, was intercepted off the coast of Guyana, and 2,370 kilogrammes of cocaine were discovered inside.
Speaking on the report, the VP said while some information may have been recycled from a 2019 report on Guyana, “Some of it may be inaccurate information, a bit unfair, but on the whole, I thought it was a fairly good report…. Nandlall (Attorney General, Mohabir Anil Nandlall) was griping a little bit about how it’s unfair …[but] …I think it was a positive report.”
Dr Jagdeo criticized opposition figures and commentators, like Sherod Duncan and others from the opposition bench, for focusing only on the negative aspects of the report, reasoning that much of the criticism overlooked the broader context.
VP Jagdeo admitted that while there are ongoing challenges with corruption in public office, the government has taken concrete action.
He pointed to four Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officers who were charged in 2024 for trafficking 213kg of cannabis, as a reflection of the state’s commitment to holding public officials accountable.
Embattled Assistant Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus has also been charged with money laundering and other financially related offences.
He reminded the press that under the previous administration, they failed to act on corruption allegations against high-level officials, instead opting for internal investigations that produced no results.
And so, “We have great credibility in taking action against transgressors,” Dr Jagdeo emphasised.
The US Report recognised the government’s efforts to enhance security expertise, as it launched the National Defence Institute to increase collaboration with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and US security and defence institutions.
Also, Guyana has implemented a 2001 bilateral agreement with the United States that enables joint maritime and aerospace patrols to counter narcotic trafficking.
“Guyana is a member of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission and is also signatory to several United Nations conventions, including the Vienna Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances,” the report added.
Earlier this year, CANU reported that 5,094 kilogrammes of cocaine and 1,643 kilogrammes of cannabis were seized last year. This amounted to a street value of approximately $5.6 billion.
The CANU stated that this seizure represented a 394 per cent increase from the previous year.
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