United States hails Guyana’s role in US-led coalition to combat drug cartels

…“Guyana is among the countries showing real commitment” – US Secretary of State

Guyana has been named among a growing coalition of nations partnering with the United States (US) to strengthen border security and combat transnational narcotics trafficking as part of a broader push to counter organised crime and enhance regional stability. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking alongside President Donald Trump, praised Guyana and several Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) nations, including Ecuador, Paraguay, Trinidad and Argentina for stepping forward to cooperate in what he described as an unprecedented international effort to disrupt criminal cartels.

“For the first time in the modern era, we are truly on offence against organised cartels that are pumping poison into our cities,” Rubio said. “Countries just in the last week, Ecuador, Paraguay, Guyana, Trinidad, today Argentina, all joining us or trying to be helpful in advancing this. And this just, you know, one thing is there, we’re going to stop drugs from coming in and we’re having record seizures, but another thing is to build an international coalition against the scourge on the international stage…This is not just about record drug seizures, it’s about building an international coalition against the scourge on the international stage. Guyana is among the countries showing real commitment.”

The partnership will focus on intelligence sharing, coordinated enforcement and strengthening legal frameworks to combat trafficking networks that use porous borders and maritime routes across the Caribbean and South America.
Beyond counter-narcotics operations, the alliance is also addressing the challenges of mass migration and border management. Rubio emphasised that border security is no longer a matter of domestic patrols alone but requires global cooperation. “We’ve redefined our border. It’s no longer just our physical border. We are working ahead of time with international partners to stem migration flows before they reach the US,” he explained. The US official also underscored the broader geopolitical role of such cooperation, highlighting recent diplomatic efforts by Washington to mediate conflicts and promote peace abroad.

Support
Late last week, the Guyana Government underscored the need for strengthened co-operation at the regional and hemispheric levels to tackle the threats posed to regional security from transnational crime and narco-terrorism.
In a statement on Friday last, the Government expressed grave concern over the threat to peace and security in the LAC regions by transnational organised crime and narco-terrorism, including criminal networks, such as the Cartel de los Soles from Venezuela, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation by some countries in the region. These concerns by Guyanese authorities come on the heels of the US recently deploying three warships off the coast of Venezuela as part of its crackdown on drug cartels in the region.
Washington has stated that designated narco-terrorist organisations like the Cartel de los Soles are using the region’s air and sea corridors to funnel drugs into the US, thus posing a direct threat to American lives and security.
According to the Guyana Government in Friday’s missive, “Such criminal networks have the capacity to overwhelm state institutions, undermine democracy, pervert the rule of law and threaten human dignity and development. The Government of Guyana underscores the necessity for strengthened cooperation and concerted efforts at the national, regional, hemispheric and global levels to effectively combat this menace.”
Citing previous commitments made by President Irfaan Ali, the Guyana Government reaffirms its commitment and support for a collaborative and integrated approach to tackle transnational organised crime by working with bilateral partners to dismantle criminal networks, safeguarding the region’s shared security. These sentiments were reiterated by President Ali, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, during an engagement with reporters on Friday morning.
“As President, part of my duty is to ensure our sovereignty is maintained and that we continue to live in peace here… We’ve always said we support this region being a zone of peace, and we understand the importance of our sovereignty, and we’ll do everything to protect our sovereignty,” Ali declared.

Welcomed
In fact, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo had also pointed this out when he welcomed the US’s decision to deploy air and naval forces to the Southern Caribbean Sea to counter the activities of powerful Latin American drug cartels.
Speaking at his weekly press briefing on August 14, Jagdeo said the US position on combating drug trafficking is consistent with President Trump’s commitment during his campaign and in office that drug smuggling into the US would be met with “serious consequences”.
Only recently, the Trump administration had offered a $50 million reward for the arrest of Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Maduro has said on state television that he would deploy 4.5 million militia members “that are prepared, activated and armed” in response to “outlandish threats” by the US.