The Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has written to the United States Embassy in Georgetown seeking information on the confiscation of the mobile phone of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Miami International Airport, Senior Government officials have confirmed to News Source.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for national security.

The Permanent Secretary, Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas was in-transit at the Miami Airport on her way to China just over a week ago, when she was pulled aside and questioned by the US Authorities and her mobile phone was confiscated.

News Source understands that Ms. Thomas continued with her trip to China after the phone confiscation, and when she heads back to Guyana this weekend, she will be doing so via London and not the US.

One senior government official said the US Government has not provided any information about the incident and it is worrying to the authorities, hence the decision by the Government to officially request information from the local US Embassy.

The Permanent Secretary is expected to provide a full report of the incident to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on her return. She travels on a Guyana service passport, which is the type of passport that is issued to government officials for official travel duty.

Under US Homeland Security laws, border officials can inspect and confiscate a travelers mobile phone without giving reason.

However, because the Permanent Secretary is a senior official in the Guyana Government, it is believed that any decision to confiscate her phone would be based on serious information received and approval from senior Homeland Security officials in the US.

Thomas was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs in October 2020, two months after the change in Government.

Her appointment raised eyebrows in the local public service since she was a candidate for the PPP Civic at the 2015 and 2020 national elections and was therefore considered a political appointee for the key public service position.

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