Gas station bomber entered Guyana illegally with remote-controlled explosive device – police

Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 October 2025, 21:27 by Writer

The Venezuelan man, who was arrested on Tuesday and confessed to detonating a bomb at the Mobil gas station on Regent and King streets, Georgetown on Sunday, has so far told investigators that he brought the explosive device into the country hours earlier.

“Among other things that he mentioned to us is that he brought the device in from Venezuela to Guyana. He also indicated that the device had a switch which he activated when he exited the vehicle which was parked within the vicinity of the gas station,” Head of the Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department, Deputy Police Commissioner Wendell Blanhum told a news conference at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Mr Blanhum said the man, identified as Daniel Alexander Ramirez Peodomo, and a Venezuelan accomplice arrived in Guyana illegally by boat on Sunday morning at about 8 o’clock.

Mr Blanhum declined to divulge immediately the motive for the attack that resulted in the death of a six-year-old girl and injury to four others. The police officer also refused to provide any information about the type of explosive that was used.

Police could not say whether Mr Peodomo was militarily trained, but pointed out that he was a member of the R Organization (Organización R – OR) associated with the feared sindicato gang.

He said information about the suspect was shared with the Caracas Bureau of INTERPOL.

The chief criminal investigator said nine persons, including four Venezuelans, were in custody since the investigations began on the night of the incident.

Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken said police used government surveillance cameras that are hooked up to regional command centres to locate the prime suspect at Vergenoegen side line dam, East Bank Essequibo.

Despite public reservations that the picture of the suspect did not match those that had been released in wanted bulletins, the police officers sought to reassure Guyanese that the man is the perpetrator.

Mr Hicken said soldiers would be joining police in intensified patrols, in the wake of Sunday night’s incident, the third such bombing for the year.

Mr Blanhum did not comment on possible links between the incidents in May and last Sunday, saying that the matter was before the court.

A Guyanese man was arrested because he allegedly aided two Spanish-speaking men whose pictures were circulated in wanted bulletins but they were never arrested.