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Guyana Opposition Leader-Elect Azruddin Mohamed Arrested After U.S. Extradition Request

A magistrate will now open the extradition process tied to a U.S. indictment unsealed on Oct. 6.

FILE - Presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed of the We Invest in Nationhood party displays his ink-stained finger after voting in general elections in Georgetown, Guyana, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

Overview

  • Attorney General Anil Nandlall said a formal U.S. request this week prompted the arrests of Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar.
  • The pair were taken in handcuffs to Georgetown’s magistrates’ court as extradition proceedings commence.
  • A U.S. grand jury in the Southern District of Florida alleges a US$50 million gold export and tax-evasion scheme involving wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and customs violations.
  • We Invest in Nationhood won 16 of 65 seats in the Sept. 1 election, leaving Mohamed’s ability to take up an opposition leadership role uncertain before parliament reconvenes on Nov. 3.
  • Family members and party officials criticized the arrest tactics, and any extradition decision can be contested in Guyanese courts with appeals reaching the Caribbean Court of Justice.