Venezuelan, others in deadly gas station bombing to stand High Court trial

Last Updated on Thursday, 12 November 2026, 9:52 by Written By Denis Chabrol

A Venezuelan man and two other persons were Thursday committed to stand trial in a High Court for terrorism related to the bombing of the Mobil gas station on Regent and King streets on October 26, 2025 at about 7:24 p.m.

“The defences are for the jury, not this court,” Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty said

Except for taxi driver 27-year-old Johnny Boodram, the others who have been committed to stand trial include the number one accused Venezuelan 33-year-old Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo

The police force said it conducted “comprehensive investigations into the explosion” but did not reveal the motive for the attack that occurred on October 26, 2025 at about 7:24 p.m.

Ms Mc Gusty said there was only mere suspicionn but no evidence to support his alleged role and so she upheld no case submissions by his lawyer.

In relation to 33-year-old Krystal La Cruz, the magistrate said she found it very instructive that she complied with a request to take a video with her phone of where she was and later deleted it. The video was retrieved by police

Magistrate Mc Gusty said she did not belive Ms La Cruz was telling the “entire and total truth” Ms Mc Gusty said the woman seemed to  bemaking the way for number one accused to conclude his mission such as arranging his hotel and accommodation and taking the video. The magistrate said Ms La Cruz seemed to be an accessory and so she dismissed the no case submission, allowing for the accused to.move to the next stage.

The court also concluded that 44-year-old Alexander Bettancourt traveled with Mr Ramirez Poedemo and he had prior knowledge to travel with him to purchase engine parts. However, she said he traveled to Georgetown and did not purchase engine parts and traveled back to the West Coast Demerara. The court found that Mr Bettancourt provided significant assistance to the number one accused

Mr Betancourt traveled with Palermo and had prior knowledge to travel with him to purchase engine parts. He traveled to Georgetown and did not purchase engine parts and traveled back to the West Coast.

A girl died and several others were injured during the explosion.

Police had already informed the media that Mr Ramirez Poedemo, who was placed at the crime scene by video surveillance recordings, confessed to detonating the device that he had initially intended to place in a garbage bin near a fuel pump. After the pump attendant told him not to do so, he was seem placing the bag near a parked car where it exploded moments later, destroying a car and killing a six-year-old girl and injuring several others.

Investigators were also told that Mr Ramirez Poedemo and a Venezuelan accomplice, who entered Guyana illegally with the device, landed by boat at a koker at Parika at about 8 a.m. on October 26. They then travelled in a taxi and allegedly conducted surveillance of the gas station before depositing the device there.