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Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump administration drops hammer on ‘narco sub' cocaine ring as cartels threaten US borders
Six alleged drug traffickers accused of using "narco subs" and aircraft to transport large quantities of cocaine were slapped with U.S. sanctions earlier this week, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Two Colombians – Manuel Salazar Gutierrez and Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo – and four Guyanese nationals – Randolph Duncan, Himnauth Sawh, Mark Cromwell and Paul Daby Jr. – have been sanctioned for allegedly trafficking tons of cocaine from South America to the United States, Europe and the Caribbean, according to officials. "Under President [Donald] Trump, this administration has achieved the most secure border in modern history," Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender said in a statement. "The Treasury Department continues to bring our unique tools and authorities to the fight against cartels and their affiliates." Officials allege that Daby Jr. and Duncan are responsible for operating the largest drug trafficking organizations throughout Guyana, relying on semi-submersible narco submarines and aircraft to transport cocaine while bribing local government officials. Sawh, a Guyanese police officer, is accused of funneling Venezuelan and Mexican drug traffickers transporting cocaine through Guyana, according to the Treasury. Cromwell, a former Guyanese police officer, is wanted by authorities for his involvement in the abduction of a fellow police officer last year. Colombian nationals Salazar and Sanchez are aiding in aircraft smuggling by overseeing airstrips as cocaine is transported from Colombia to Guyana, the department said. "All property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC," the Treasury said. The sanctions come as authorities are attempting to crack down on homemade narco subs traveling through Guyana's jungles while carrying record amounts of cocaine, according to U.S. officials. The Treasury points to the country's proximity to the Caribbean and alleged corruption along its borders, ultimately allowing narco subs and aircraft to move throughout the country. "Guyana is a close partner of the United States in combating narcotics trafficking," the Treasury said in a statement. "Nevertheless, according to a 2025 State Department International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, corruption in Guyana poses a significant obstacle to its efforts to combat drug trafficking." In March 2025, a cargo vessel from Guyana was discovered by authorities off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago carrying approximately 400 pounds of cocaine, the Treasury said. The packages were stamped with the Toyota logo, known to be used by the Sinaloa Cartel. Last year, U.S. and Guyanese law enforcement seized approximately 5,200 pounds of cocaine from a self-propelled narco sub operating off the coast of Guyana. The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. "Treasury will continue to expose the criminal networks that allow for drugs to be trafficked into the United States," Faulkender said. "[We will] work closely with our law enforcement colleagues and the Government of Guyana to disrupt the cartels wherever they operate."
CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
"Narco subs" trafficking cocaine targeted in latest U.S. sanction
Six accused drug traffickers allegedly using boats and "narco subs" to traffic cocaine were hit with U.S. sanctions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said Thursday. Four Guyanese nationals — Paul Daby Jr., Randolph Duncan, Mark Cromwell, Himnauth Sawh — and two Colombians — Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo and Manuel Salazar Gutierrez — were sanctioned for allegedly trafficking tons of cocaine from South America to the United States, Europe and the Caribbean, officials said. Daby Jr. and Duncan operate the largest drug trafficking operation in Guayana, according to U.S. officials, using "narco subs" — a semi-submersible vessel that can't fully go underwater — airstrips and various individuals in their smuggling efforts. Daby Jr. also transports illegal gold from Guyana, while Duncan traffics cocaine from Guyana to Africa and the Caribbean to Europe and the United States, the Treasury said. The Treasury Department said Cromwell, a former Guyana police officer, is wanted for his alleged role in the abduction of another Guyana police officer in 2024. Sawh, a Guyana police officer, is accused of facilitating safe passage for Mexican and Venezuelan drug traffickers sending cocaine through Guyana. Colombians Sanchez and Salazar are accused of overseeing airstrips used by aircraft smuggling cocaine from Colombia to Guyana, the Treasury said. Authorities in Guyana intercepted a semi-submersible vessel, or "narco sub," in 2024 used for trafficking drugs across South America and internationally. INTERPOL "As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC," the Treasure Department said. Guyana has become a major hotspot for running cocaine through the South American country to the United States and Europe. U.S. Treasury officials in their statement said a combination of Guyana's proximity to the Caribbean and alleged corruption at its ports and along its borders help aircraft and "narco subs" move through the country's waters without being detected. Despite crackdown attempts, authorities have discovered record amounts of cocaine in homemade "narco subs" transversing through rivers threading the country's jungles. In March 2025, a cargo vessel originating in Guyana was discovered by police in the waters off Trinidad and Tobago with approximately 182 kilograms of cocaine, U.S. officials said. Last year, authorities found more than 8,000 pounds of cocaine in a lush jungle near the border with Venezuela. "Narco subs" can transport as much as 3 tons of cocaine at a time. Interpol, the intergovernmental organization that facilitates international policing, warned that traffickers in the region can steer semi-submersibles through the rivers of South America before crossing the Atlantic Ocean and eventually arriving in Western Europe.
