Guyana wants joint border patrols with Brazil, Suriname

Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, 23:25 by Writer

Guyana has approached Brazil’s Roraima State to jointly patrol the border between the two neighbouring South American countries to combat transnational crime, President Irfaan Ali said on Wednesday.

At the opening of the annual police officers’ conference Dr Ali said he raised the idea of establishing a “strike force” with the Governor of Roraima State, Antonio Denarium during his visit this week to Roraima State.

“I’ve already discussed with the governor of Roraima, for us to develop an integrated joint strike force to operate along the border. Those discussions, I hope, will advance so we can have an integrated system along the border,” Dr Ali said.

The President said he also encouraged the team to have similar discussions with Suriname on the eastern side of the border. “We’re exploring how we can integrate a team that is trained to work together because in security operations, it is very important that we are trained to work with each other,” 

The President wants the “strike force” to be a long-term mission to share intelligence and engage in joint operations.

He could not say exactly when the joint operations would begin because “now we’re starting the discussion.”

Suriname and French Guiana have an agreement in place that allows the French gendarmes (paramilitary police officers) and Surinamese police to operate in a limited border area of both territories to pursue criminals.

The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) said that last December, police and prosecutors from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname arrested 198 persons who were involved in cross-border illegal gold mining operation in Guyana and other South American countries.