United States Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot on Sunday rejected claims that the extradition case against businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed is politically driven, saying the charges were brought on the basis of what she described as strong evidence and established legal procedures.
Appearing on the SOURCES programme, Theriot said the United States does not initiate criminal prosecutions for political purposes and dismissed suggestions by the Mohameds that the case is part of a broader political effort against them. She said Washington would not pursue an extradition matter unless it believed the case could be proven in court.
“The United States does not pursue criminal charges for political reasons,” Theriot said, adding that U.S. authorities act only when they believe they have “hard, unequivocal evidence” to support an indictment. She said the matter is now before Guyana’s courts and that the U.S. is prepared to proceed once the local legal process is completed.
Her comments come as Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed continue to challenge efforts by the United States to have them extradited to face charges in Florida. The case has become one of the most closely watched legal and political matters in Guyana, with the Mohameds arguing publicly that the prosecution is politically influenced and tied to Azruddin Mohamed’s growing political profile.
Theriot also sought to distance both the U.S. and Guyanese governments from allegations of political interference, stressing that the indictment was brought by U.S. authorities, not by the Government of Guyana. She said the case is being handled “by the book” and in accordance with the law.
While acknowledging concerns that the matter could inflame tensions locally, the ambassador said she hoped there would be no destabilisation arising from the case. She framed the proceedings as an effort to ensure accountability for what U.S. authorities allege are serious financial crimes.
The United States Department of Justice announced in November 2025 that a federal grand jury in Miami had charged the Mohameds in connection with what prosecutors described as a multi-year scheme involving tax evasion and money laundering tied to gold exports from Guyana. According to the indictment, the father and son, through their company Mohamed’s Enterprise, allegedly concealed the true quantity and value of gold exported between 2017 and 2024, depriving Guyana of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties. U.S. prosecutors said the alleged scheme involved roughly US$50 million.
That criminal case followed sanctions imposed in June 2024 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which accused Nazar Mohamed, Azruddin Mohamed and associated entities of involvement in public corruption in Guyana. Treasury said the action targeted what it described as a corruption network linked to the country’s gold sector.
Locally, the extradition fight has suffered a series of setbacks for the Mohameds. Earlier this month, Guyana’s Court of Appeal dismissed their challenge to the Authority to Proceed issued by the Minister of Home Affairs, upholding an earlier High Court ruling and clearing the way for the extradition matter to continue before the magistrates’ court.
Theriot’s latest remarks also reinforced comments she made in February, when she said the United States was “100% committed” to seeing the extradition process through. At the time, she said Washington was serious about the case and wanted justice for both the Guyanese and American people.