June 6, 2025Washington, DC, United StatesNarcotics

Treasury targets network trafficking cocaine to the US and Europe following ICE HSI New York investigation with law enforcement partners

Aircraft and narco-submarines are being utilized to smuggle cocaine

WASHINGTON — On June 5, following an investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ New York field office and law enforcement partners, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four Guyanese nationals and two Colombian nationals responsible for trafficking tons of cocaine from South America to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean.

These sanctions target drug traffickers utilizing boats and narco-subs to traffic ton-quantities of cocaine, along with an alleged corrupt Guyanese law enforcement official. The sanctions also target individuals who are operating covert airstrips to traffic drugs via aircraft.

For decades, reported corrupt actors have used Guyana as a transshipment point for the movement of drugs from South America to the United States, with Mexican drug cartels also maintaining a presence in the region. International cocaine trafficking remains a serious threat to the United States, as the substantial profits generated from these sales continue to fund and strengthen cartel operations.

The June 5 action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 14059, which targets the proliferation of illicit drugs and their means of production. ICE HSI New York and OFAC carried out this investigation in coordination with ICE HSI Bogota, the Drug Enforcement Administration Guyana Country Office, DEA New York, Customs and Border Protection Office of Intelligence New York, Internal Revenue Service New York and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from NYPD Intelligence Bureau, CBP New York and the New York National Guard Counterdrug Task Force.

According to the investigation:

Guyana’s proximity to the Caribbean, as well as alleged corruption along its ports and borders, allows aircraft and maritime vessels, also known as narco-submarines, to transit through its waters undetected. Drug traffickers exploit the rivers and jungles of South America by transporting large quantities of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela through Guyana and Suriname.

In the last few years, Guyana has been the focus of major U.S. law enforcement operations in partnership with Guyanese authorities, resulting in multi-ton seizures of cocaine. In March 2025, a cargo vessel originating in Guyana was discovered by police in the waters of Trinidad and Tobago with approximately 182 kilograms of cocaine.

On Feb. 20, the State Department identified the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization and as a specially designated global terrorist.

On March 21, 2024, U.S. and Guyanese law enforcement seized 2,370 kilograms of cocaine in a self-propelled semi-submersible approximately 150 miles off the coast of Guyana.

In August 2024, Guyanese authorities, with support from DEA and DSS, discovered 4.4 tons of cocaine in a clandestine airfield in the northwest region of Guyana known as Barima-Waini, or Region One.

More information, including the full press release announcing these OFAC sanctions.

Updated: 06/06/2025