News Source Guyana Reports : United States Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot has confirmed that Permanent Secretary Mae Thomas, former Regional Police Commander Himnauth Sawh and other Guyanese nationals sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) remain under American sanctions, with no extradition requests submitted in their cases.
Mae Thomas was sanctioned by OFAC in June 2024 alongside billionaires Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed, accused of corrupt practices including using her position as Permanent Secretary to manipulate government processes in favour of the Mohameds. She was subsequently placed on administrative leave by the Guyana Government.
While Ambassador Theriot confirmed Thomas remains sanctioned, she said she is not aware that the US Government has provided the Guyanese Government with information on the alleged acts of corruption attributed to her.
“Typically when an investigation is ongoing, and of course the Mohameds are still going through the extradition request process, we wouldn’t share information with the public because it is still ongoing,” Theriot said.
Her remarks contrast with statements made months after the sanctions were handed down by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who said the US Justice Department had provided the Government of Guyana with information on the alleged crimes committed by the trio. While the State has pursued criminal charges against the Mohameds — who are currently facing extradition proceedings — the Government has remained notably silent on the serious allegations against Thomas.
On the matter of former Regional Police Commander Himnauth Sawh, who was sanctioned by OFAC in June 2025, Ambassador Theriot confirmed that he and the other Guyanese nationals named alongside him also remain under US sanctions.
“So for our part in the United States, the OFAC sanctions remain, they are not going anywhere. I think that there are still other investigations ongoing potentially on the criminal level but I don’t have any updates on that,” she said.
Sawh served as Commander for the Police Division in Region One when 4.4 tonnes of cocaine were discovered buried in bunkers in the North West District in September 2024. He was named alongside Mark Cromwell, known as “Demon,” Paul Daby, Randolph Duncan and two Colombian nationals. Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond confirmed last month that Sawh remains on administrative leave and that investigations into his alleged involvement in an international drug ring are ongoing.
Ambassador Theriot said to her knowledge, no extradition requests have been submitted to the Guyana Government in the cases of either Thomas or Sawh.
“No, those haven’t come through the Embassy. If that were something that would come through the Embassy, which would be a normal process, we have not received that,” she said.
The extradition requests in the case of the Mohameds remain in effect, with the matter currently before the courts.
