Georgetown: The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is expected to commence operations in Guyana by the end of this year.
This is according to Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy, Bryan Hunt. “We’re simply waiting on our Drug Enforcement Administration to run through its personnel and identify the agents who will be coming to fill the office here,” he disclosed.
Nevertheless, Hunt noted that the DEA Office is expected to be set up in “Fall” which will be the ending of September to mid-December.
However, he did note that the commencement of operations here highly depends on personnel hiring process used by the DEA.
Former US Ambassador to Guyana, D Brent Hardt, just before his departure in June last, had announced that the Barack Obama Administration has authorised the DEA to establish an office in Guyana. At the time, Hardt noted that the agency has already begun shipping its equipment to Guyana and training was planned for the local enforcement officers.
Subsequently, a US Embassy official had revealed to this newspaper that three agents and an administrative officer will staff the DEA Office.
The office will be stationed and operating out of the US Embassy located on Duke and Young Streets, Kingston. The officers will be working along with the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the Police Narcotics Branch. Amid spiralling narcotics trafficking here, stakeholders believe that the US’ move to set up the office will help break up local drug networks, but they also believe earlier interventions could have prevented the spread of the narcotics trade to the point where Guyana is considered a transshipment point. The increased level of gun violence and other crimes have been tied to the drug trade.
The DEA currently has an office in Trinidad that lends support to the Caribbean Region. There is also a more substantive office in Puerto Rico that handles matters around the Region and Latin America.
Of recent, the DEA Office has been lending a supporting role to CANU in the investigations of the submersible vessel found in Region One last month.
“The Government of Guyana asked us to assist them technically with some of the forensics involved in the investigations. They asked for advice on the best way to handle securing and moving of the vessel so we have provided them with our best technical advice and our technical experts who have been working alongside the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit,” he disclosed. The US Embassy official disclosed that there are a small number of DEA officials involved in the investigations. He noted that their participation in the probe varies every day, depending on the level and type of expertise needed at the site.
DEA officers from the regional offices, the Caribbean and the US comprised the small team assisting with the investigations. Asked whether their intelligence so far have shown links to any drug cartels, Hunt noted that it is too early in the investigations to determine this; however, he said based upon the DEA’s professional assessment thus far, the vessel was intended for the movement of narcotics.
“It’s very early days yet in the investigations to speculate as to which particular entity, what particular people, what particular links but the purpose of the investigation and the purpose of our co-operation with the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit is to assist them in being able to determine all of that and I’m sure when CANU has made that determination, they will be more than happy to share the results of their investigation,” the US official stated.
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