GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Seven people have been charged with terrorism in connection with the deadly October 26 explosion at the Mobil gas station at Regent and King streets in Georgetown, which killed a young girl and injured four others, authorities announced Tuesday.
The Guyana Police Force said it received legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions to pursue the charges following what law enforcement described as an intensive multi-agency investigation.
Charged are Wayne Corriea, 44, and Ramesh Pramdeo, 51, both Guyanese; Krystal LaCruz, 33, who holds Guyanese-Venezuelan nationality; and Venezuelan nationals Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, 33; Jennifer Rodriguez, 33; Johnny Boodram, 27; and Alexander Bettancourt, 44.
They are each accused of committing terrorism under Section 3(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01. All seven are expected to appear before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Police said the explosion tore through the busy fuel station just after 7:30 p.m. on October 26, destroying a vehicle, damaging nearby cars and infrastructure, and causing panic in the heart of the capital. The device detonated close to cooking-gas cylinders on the premises, intensifying the blast and resulting fire.
Six-year-old Soraya Bourne died after suffering severe injuries. The child was traveling in a silver Toyota Premio with her mother, 71-year-old grandmother, and two other children when the blast occurred. The victims were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital; Soraya was pronounced dead on arrival.
Several others, including gas station staff and civilians nearby, suffered burns and shrapnel injuries.
Authorities said prime accused Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, a Venezuelan national, confessed to triggering the explosive device after entering Guyana illegally by boat on the same day as the attack. According to investigators, Ramirez Poedemo told police the device was transported from Venezuela and detonated remotely after it was placed at the station.
Police officials said Ramirez Poedemo is linked to a Venezuelan gang network known as “Sindicato,” part of a wider transnational criminal grouping.
He was arrested in Region Three after a manhunt involving tactical units and a public reward notice.
The explosion triggered heightened security in Georgetown and along the country’s inland and border corridors.
Police say additional charges — including murder and arson — may follow as the investigation continues to trace funding, planning, and accomplices tied to the act.
In a statement, the Guyana Police Force said it conducted the investigation “with professionalism, integrity and strict adherence to due process,” adding that law enforcement remains committed to public safety and counter-terrorism operations nationwide.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive, but officials described the attack as a “terrorist act intended to cause mass casualties and public fear.”