US Ambassador Nicole Theriot says sanctions imposed on former Region One police commander Himnauth Sawh and five others over alleged cocaine trafficking remain in force, but she has no information on whether Sawh is still a member of the Guyana Police Force or is under criminal investigation here.
Asked by reporters on the sidelines of the 27th INTERPOL Americas Regional Conference for an update, Theriot said: “There isn’t any update to provide. They remain sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury.” She said the measures restricted their ability to move funds through the United States.
A follow-up question asked whether Sawh remained in the police force and whether the embassy had been informed of any criminal investigation. “I actually have no information on that,” Theriot replied. She gave no indication that the US had lifted any of the designations.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Sawh in June 2025, along with Guyanese Paul Daby Jr, Randolph Duncan and former policeman Mark Cromwell, and Colombian nationals Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo and Manuel Salazar Gutierrez. OFAC alleged that Sawh had ensured safe passage for Colombian and Venezuelan traffickers through Region One. The allegation was made in a US sanctions announcement; it was not a finding by a Guyanese court.
Sawh had been removed as Region One divisional commander following the discovery of 4.4 tonnes of cocaine near Matthews Ridge in 2024. After the US announcement, President Irfaan Ali said Sawh had been placed on administrative leave and that the government had requested further information from the US to assist with local action. The Ministry of Home Affairs said that information would guide the Police Service Commission and the government.
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