UNITED STATES Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot on Wednesday affirmed that Washington remains “100 % committed” to pursuing the extradition of indicted businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin, noting that the request was formally signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio late last year.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Guyana Energy Conference at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown on Wednesday, Ambassador Theriot emphasised that the matter remains a priority for the U.S. authorities, even as the judicial process unfolds in Guyana.
“I want to make it incredibly clear that the US is 100% committed to seeing this through. It is incredibly important to us that these proceedings continue and that a decision is ultimately made,” the Ambassador told News Room.
While acknowledging that delays can occur in complex legal matters, she noted that the United States remains resolute in its pursuit of the extradition request, which was formally signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio late last year.
“There have been a lot of delays, including today. That’s understandable. That happens in cases, but let me just tell you, the US government does not spend 10s of 1000s of US taxpayer dollars to request extradition if we’re not serious. We want to see this happen, and we want to see justice served, both for the Guyanese and the US people,” Theriot stated.
The Ambassador further stressed that while the United States is closely monitoring the matter, it remains respectful of Guyana’s judicial independence.
“I think that we have to be respectful of the Guyanese judicial system, and this is the ball is in your court, as they say. And so, we are content to wait and see what happens. I have every faith that things are going to proceed and the right decision will be made. We’re watching from afar. We’re not interfering, but we’re very, very interested in the outcome, and we’re fully committed to seeing this through,” she added.
Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 11 criminal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.
The United States has requested that the Mohameds be extradited to face those indictments, with extradition proceedings currently pending before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court presided over by Magistrate Judy Latchman.
The matter has seen several adjournments, with the defence raising a series of applications and procedural issues, which prosecutors have argued are contributing to delays in advancing the case.
Parallel to the magistrate’s court proceedings, aspects of the extradition challenge have also engaged the High Court and Appeal Court, where related applications and legal questions have been ventilated as the defence seeks various forms of relief. These legal manoeuvres have effectively slowed the pace of the committal process, even as the requesting state continues to press for the proceedings to move forward.
Despite the delays and ongoing legal challenges, the U.S. Ambassador expressed confidence that the judicial process will ultimately run its course and yield a definitive ruling on the extradition request.
