DEA team helping CANU in narco-sub probe

TIMES INT'L

By Vahnu Manikchand

US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Bryan Hunt
US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Bryan Hunt

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been playing a supporting role to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) in investigating the discovery of a submersible vessel in Region One two weeks ago.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times International, local US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Bryan Hunt said that the DEA has been playing a supporting role to CANU after Government had requested its assistance in the investigations.

“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 comprise the small team assisting with the investigations. Asked whether DEA intelligence so far has shown links to any drug cartels, Hunt noted that it was too early in the investigations to determine this; however, based upon the DEA’s professional assessment thus far, the vessel was intended for the movement of narcotics.

According to the Charge d’Affaires, anti-narcotics agencies around the world have made many such discoveries of semi-submersible vessels, including those in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Hunt explained that the DEA has been involved in some of those discoveries. He went on to say that using the knowledge gained, the DEA will try to assist CANU with comparing the vessel found with other known models and types previously discovered in order to determine the similarities and differences so that they can identify the owners.

Further questioned on whether the comparison process has begun, the US Embassy Charge d’Affaires reiterated that it was too early in the investigations to do this.

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