U.S. Sanctions Rock Guyana: Senior Police Officer, Businessmen Named in Drug Trafficking Network
By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
The Government of Guyana is scrambling for answers following explosive sanctions announced by the United States Treasury Department, implicating four Guyanese nationals — including a senior-ranking police officer — in a Colombian-Guyanese transnational drug trafficking ring.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), under Executive Order 14059, officially named Senior Superintendent Himnauth Shaw, Paul “Davy Jr” Daby, Mark “Demon” Cromwell, and Randolph Duncan, alongside two Colombian nationals, as key players in the trafficking of cocaine from South America to North America, Europe, and beyond.
In response to the revelations, Guyana’s Ministry of Home Affairs announced that Senior Superintendent Shaw had been sent on immediate administrative leave to facilitate an internal investigation. The Ministry said, “Further action will certainly follow,” acknowledging the serious nature of the accusations.
The sanctions allege that while in command of Region One, Shaw facilitated the safe passage of Colombian and Venezuelan drug traffickers through Guyana’s borders. Shaw, who was removed from the Region One command in September 2024 following a 4.4-ton cocaine bust, is now accused of being financially compensated by Colombian drug lords.
The two Colombian nationals, Andres Sanz and Manuel Salares Gutierrez, are alleged to be the architects of illegal airstrips in Guyana, used to fly tons of cocaine into the country for onward trafficking.
OFAC says Paul Davy Jr and Randolph Duncan operate the largest drug trafficking networks in Guyana, leveraging small aircraft, maritime vessels, and bribery of local officials to move cocaine internationally. Davy Jr reportedly uses shipping containers and a network of couriers to transport drugs and illegally mined gold to Suriname and beyond.
Duncan is said to control routes from Guyana to Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe, with the U.S. as a major destination.
Mark Cromwell, alias “Demon”, a former Guyana Police Force officer, was designated by OFAC as a violent trafficker and a close associate of Davy Jr. He is believed to be responsible for protecting shipments and enforcing territory for the drug ring.
At his weekly press briefing, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said while he could not directly confirm details of the case, he was “not at all surprised” by the developments.
Meanwhile, the Government of Guyana states that it is seeking additional information from the U.S. and will cooperate with international partners to investigate the matter further.
This latest action adds to growing international scrutiny of Guyana’s border integrity, corruption vulnerabilities, and the role of high-ranking officials in facilitating narco-operations.
