The Bahamas, Jamaica, Belize and Haiti are the CARICOM member states which have been listed by the US President as Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2025.

In a statement, The White House explained that a country’s presence on the list is not necessarily a reflection of its government’s counter drug efforts or level of cooperation with the United States. 

It was made clear that the list is not a sanction or penalty, but the reason countries are placed on the list is the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be transited or produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures. 

The White House said provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023 — a decrease of 3 percent from the 2022 figure.

The US Government has said that while it expands its efforts at home, it also recognizes the drug problem as a global one that requires a coordinated international response. 

While Guyana is considered a transhipment point for drugs head to Europe and parts of the US, the country is not considered a major drug transhipment point.

Over the years, Guyana has been steadily increasing its efforts to tackle drug trafficking. However, drug pushers from other parts of South America have been continuously using Guyana’s wide and porous borders to get their drugs in and out of the country.

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