Colombian national, Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo, who was earlier this year sanctioned by the US Government along with four Guyanese nationals and another Colombian on alleged drug trafficking, was arrested on Tuesday in Guyana, according to local law enforcement.

The Guyana Police Force reported this afternoon that Sanchez Vallejo was nabbed at the Kurupukari Police Checkpoint in Essequibo as part of routine security screening procedures.

The Police said during the screening process, the man was found in possession of a passport bearing the immigration stamp “RLL” which means Refused Leave to Land.

As checks by the Police confirmed the man’s identity to be Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo, who is among persons sanctioned by the United States of America in relation to drug trafficking activities, he was placed under arrest. The Police said he is assisting with investigations.

The Colombian is alleged to have been part of a major drug trafficking ring that involved Guyana, Venezuela and Colombia. Five other persons were named on the same sanction list including four Guyanese nationals. A senior Guyana Police Officer is among the locals named to be part of the ring.

According to the US Government, traffickers would coordinate the importation of cocaine loads from Colombia and Venezuela to Guyana via small aircraft, utilizing illegal airstrips in Guyana as landing spots.
Cocaine has been discovered buried in underground bunkers located on airstrips and in jungle territory, with Guyana’s Barima-Waini region as a prominent location.

The US said the cocaine would then be flown, via aircraft, to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean.

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