The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced a significant blow to international cocaine trafficking, sanctioning four Guyanese and two Colombian nationals accused of moving tons of cocaine from South America to destinations including the United States and Europe.
The targeted network is reported to leverage sophisticated methods, including aircraft operating from covert airstrips and submersible vessels, to evade detection.
Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender emphasized the administration’s continued commitment to combating drug cartels. “Under President Trump, this administration has achieved the most secure border in modern history,” Faulkender stated. “The Treasury Department continues to bring our unique tools and authorities to the fight against cartels and their affiliates. Today’s action is a strong signal that this administration will continue to take the fight to the cartels, regardless of where they are located.”
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The sanctions, issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under Executive Order (E.O.) 14059, highlight Guyana’s critical role as a transshipment point for cocaine due to its strategic proximity to the Caribbean and alleged corruption within its ports and borders. For decades, corrupt actors have reportedly facilitated the movement of drugs, with Mexican drug cartels maintaining a significant presence in the region, including the notorious Sinaloa Cartel.
The Treasury’s investigation, conducted in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), sheds light on the elaborate methods employed by these illicit networks. Drug traffickers exploit the vast rivers and jungles of South America, moving large quantities of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela through Guyana and Suriname.
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Recent U.S. and Guyanese law enforcement operations have underscored the scale of the problem. In March 2025, approximately 182 kilograms of cocaine, bearing the “Toyota logo” trademark of the Sinaloa Cartel, were discovered on a cargo vessel from Guyana in Trinidad and Tobago. This follows the State Department’s designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on February 20, 2025. Further demonstrating the sophisticated nature of these operations, U.S. and Guyanese authorities seized 2,370 kilograms of cocaine from a self-propelled semi-submersible off the coast of Guyana in March 2024. In August 2024, 4.4 tons of cocaine were unearthed from underground bunkers at a clandestine airfield in Guyana’s Barima-Waini region.
Among the six individuals sanctioned are Paul Daby Jr. and Randolph Duncan, identified as operating the largest drug trafficking organizations in Guyana. Daby Jr. is accused of coordinating ton-quantity cocaine shipments from Colombia and Venezuela via illegal airstrips and utilizing shipping containers to conceal drugs. He is also reportedly involved in illegal gold transport. Duncan is alleged to traffic cocaine from Guyana to Africa and the Caribbean, with ultimate destinations in Europe and the United States.
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Also designated are Mark Cromwell, a former Guyanese police officer and associate of Daby Jr., described as a violent drug trafficker, and Himnauth Sawh, a current Guyanese law enforcement officer accused of ensuring safe passage for Colombian and Venezuelan traffickers. Colombian nationals Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo and Manuel Salazar Gutierrez were sanctioned for overseeing the clandestine airstrips facilitating the aerial transport of cocaine from Colombia to Guyana.
As a result of these sanctions, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals within the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked. This action aims to disrupt the financial networks supporting these illicit operations and serves as a stark warning to those involved in drug trafficking.
“Treasury will continue to expose the criminal networks that allow for drugs to be trafficked into the United States, and work closely with our law enforcement colleagues and the Government of Guyana to disrupt the cartels wherever they operate,” Faulkender concluded.
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