Georgetown, Guyana – The United States and Guyana participated in a three-day Counter Narcotics Orientation at USSOUTHCOM headquarters and Joint Interagency Task Force-SOUTH (JIATF-SOUTH) in Key West, Florida.  The orientation deepened the ongoing dialogue among Guyanese and U.S. agency leadership to enhance cooperation on monitoring, detection, and interdiction of illicit trafficking in the maritime arena.

 

Guyana Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, Guyana Defense Force (GDF) Chief of Staff Commodore Gary Best, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana D. Brent Hardt, and members of the U.S. Embassy’s Military Liaison Office attended the February 2012 orientation.  The Minister of Home Affairs and the Chief of Staff were given in-depth briefings on U.S. operations, procedures, and approaches for maritime detection and port security during their visit, reinforced by senior level consultations on ways to enhance sharing of information and to boost operational coordination.

 

The United States Military and the Guyana Defence Force participate regularly in joint training activities, contributing to improved military operations, readiness, and interoperability; and increased capacity to respond to security threats and provide humanitarian assistance in the region.