United States Ambassador Nicole Theriot says Guyana is expected to become a much tougher environment for drug traffickers as security cooperation between Georgetown and Washington expands.
Theriot says Guyana’s rapid economic growth and oil revenues have made the country increasingly attractive to criminal networks, prompting greater focus on counter-narcotics operations.
The United States is contributing US$2 million towards an air-domain awareness initiative, with the Guyana Government also providing funding.
Theriot saysthe enhanced capability is expected to help authorities identify suspected drug flights, including where they originate and their destinations.
The US has also provided the Guyana Defence Force with a coastal radar system to strengthen monitoring of vessels operating near Guyana’s coast.
Theriot says the aim is to make it increasingly difficult for transnational criminal organisations to use Guyana as a route for narcotics trafficking.
US-Guyana security partnership targets drug trafficking
