Traffickers BUSTED – Sanctions ISSUED

Handcuffed person with small bag of white powder

A senior Guyanese police commander and five others have been slapped with U.S. sanctions for operating a sophisticated cocaine trafficking network using “narco submarines,” hidden jungle airstrips, and corrupt officials to smuggle billions in drugs through South America to the United States.

Key Takeaways

  • Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, a current Guyana police officer, along with five others from Guyana and Colombia have been sanctioned by the U.S. for facilitating complex cocaine trafficking operations
  • The trafficking network utilized “narco submarines,” hidden jungle airstrips, and underground bunkers to smuggle multi-ton cocaine shipments worth billions
  • A massive 4.4-ton cocaine shipment valued at over G$40.7 billion was discovered at an illegal airstrip during Sawh’s tenure as Region One Commander
  • The sanctions block all U.S. property and interests of the designated individuals, requiring reporting to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
  • Authorities have uncovered record amounts of cocaine in recent operations, including 8,000 pounds near the Venezuela border last year

Corrupt Officials and Sophisticated Smuggling Network

The U.S. Treasury Department has identified and sanctioned six individuals from Guyana and Colombia for operating an extensive cocaine trafficking network that smuggles narcotics from South America to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. Among those sanctioned is Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, a 37-year-old former Region One Police Commander in Guyana, who allegedly facilitated safe passage for Mexican and Venezuelan drug traffickers. Three other Guyanese nationals—Paul Daby Jr., Mark Cromwell (another former police officer), and Randolph Duncan—were also targeted, along with two Colombian nationals, Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo and Manuel Salazar Gutierrez.

“The former Region One Police Commander Himnauth Sawh, 37, was today named in a statement from the US Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in relation to the transshipping of cocaine from Guyana to the US,” stated US Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The investigation revealed that Daby Jr. and Duncan allegedly operate the largest drug trafficking operation in Guyana, utilizing a network of corrupt officials and sophisticated smuggling methods. According to U.S. authorities, Sawh was reassigned from his position as Region One Commander to head the Transport Workshop after the discovery of 4.4 tons of cocaine valued at over G$40.7 billion near an illegal airstrip at Matthew’s Ridge during his tenure in September. The police force provided no explanation for his reassignment, raising questions about potential cover-ups within Guyana’s law enforcement.

Narco Submarines and Jungle Operations

The trafficking network employs increasingly sophisticated methods to move cocaine through South America’s dense jungles and waterways. The operation involves the use of “narco submarines”—semi-submersible vessels specifically designed to evade detection while transporting multi-ton cocaine shipments. These custom-built craft can carry up to 3 tons of cocaine per voyage and have become a preferred method for traffickers moving drugs from South America to North America and across the Atlantic to Western Europe. Small aircraft also deliver cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela to Guyana, landing on hidden airstrips in remote jungle areas.

“Drug traffickers exploit the rivers and jungles of South America by transiting large quantities of cocaine, from Colombia and Venezuela, through the waters of Guyana and Suriname,” stated US Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The Treasury Department noted that the trafficking operations specifically target Guyana’s Barima-Waini region, where cocaine is often buried in underground bunkers on airstrips and in jungle areas. The Colombian nationals, Sanchez and Salazar, allegedly manage the airstrips used for smuggling cocaine from Colombia to Guyana. From there, the drugs are flown to the United States, Europe, and throughout the Caribbean. Daby Jr. is also involved in transporting illegal gold, while Duncan manages cocaine trafficking routes from Guyana to Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States.

U.S. Sanctions and Enforcement Actions

The sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) mark the second instance in the past year where OFAC has targeted Guyanese individuals involved in drug trafficking. These measures block all property and interests of the designated individuals in the United States and require reporting to OFAC, effectively cutting off their access to the U.S. financial system. The action demonstrates President Trump’s continued commitment to combating international drug trafficking networks that threaten American communities, particularly as cocaine production and smuggling reach historic levels.

“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC,” stated the Treasury Department.

In recent months, authorities have discovered record amounts of cocaine in “narco subs” and other vessels. In March 2025, officials seized 182 kilograms of cocaine from a cargo vessel off Trinidad and Tobago, and over 8,000 pounds of cocaine were found near the Venezuela-Guyana border in the previous year. Interpol has warned about the increasing use of narco submarines crossing the Atlantic to Western Europe, indicating the global reach of these trafficking networks. Guyana’s position as a key transshipment point, combined with corruption at its ports and borders, has facilitated the undetected passage of maritime vessels carrying massive drug shipments that ultimately reach American streets.

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