Guyana court clears US extradition bid against opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed

Georgetown,UPDATED: Jul 30, 2026 01:58 IST

A Caribbean regional court on Wednesday cleared the way for the United States extradition process against Guyana opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar Mohamed to resume. The two are wanted on gold smuggling and money laundering charges and had challenged the US request before the Caribbean Court of Justice.

The court ruled against the Mohameds, who were indicted in Florida last year in a case that has highlighted persistent government corruption in the oil-rich South American nation. Azruddin Mohamed, who leads the second-largest party in Guyana's Parliament, became the country's opposition leader in January, six months after founding the We Invest in Nationhood Party.

The Mohameds have denied the allegations and had fought the extradition proceedings before the Caribbean Court of Justice in Trinidad, which is the final court of appeal for several countries in the region. It was not immediately clear when the proceedings would resume. During the hearing, Justice Winston Anderson said, "This is, of course, a complicated matter."

Lawyers for the Mohameds did not speak during the hearing and did not respond later to messages seeking comment. The defence had argued that some of the charges faced by the two were not extraditable offences. Azruddin Mohamed was seen sitting outdoors during the proceedings and was smiling at times. After the hearing, Nazar Mohamed told the Associated Press that it was too early to respond fully and that their lawyers would advise them on the next steps. "It is a 256-page judgement," he said. "Our lawyers are checking it through. Based on what lawyers say, all is not lost as yet. ... We will be fighting all the way."

Azruddin Mohamed is among Guyana's wealthiest citizens. He and his father have been out on bond since their arrest last year after the US extradition request. The US Treasury Department has also sanctioned them for allegedly smuggling more than 10,000 kilograms of gold from Guyana to the United States and evading more than USD 50 million in taxes. According to the US Justice Department, the Mohameds were among Guyana's biggest gold buyers and exporters, selling gold to buyers in Miami and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. They also ran one of the country's most successful foreign exchange outlets and have extensive real estate holdings.

Even as US authorities have pursued the two men, Washington has remained on friendly terms with the government of President Irfaan Ali, as Guyana's economy expands on the back of major offshore oil deposits that Venezuela has long claimed. With the regional court rejecting the Mohameds' challenge, the extradition process is now set to move forward, though the next hearing date is not yet clear.

With PTI Inputs

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