Government officials continue to remain mum about whether the Maritime Law Enforcement Agreement concluded with the United States government has been made operational.
Stabroek News understands that all that is required to put the treaty into effect is the Guyana government's notification to the US authorities that the agreement concluded with it last April was laid in the National Assembly.
It is also required to nominate a `shiprider' who would have powers of arrest. In Guyana, only the police have powers of arrest.
Two months ago, sources close to the Office of the President told Stabroek News that the Guyana government was working on a draft memorandum to notify the US Department of Defence that the agreement was laid in the National Assembly and that it was ready to have it operationalised. These sources cannot say with certainty now that the memorandum has been finalised.
The agreement was signed at the Office of the President between US Ambassador Ron Godard and Secretary to the Defence Board, Dr Roger Luncheon. The pact superseded the Surveillance Agree-ment the two governments signed in 1996 but which was never operationalised as the US Southern Command developed other priorities.
However, the present agreement concluded after months of negotiation paved the way for Guyana Defence Force to acquire four 40-foot motor lifeboats from the US Coast Guard.
The boats are being used by the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard to beef up its patrolling of the country's coastal sea and exclusive economic zone.
Jamaica, Barbados, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago are the other CARICOM states that have maritime law enforcement agreements with the United States of America.
The agreements are part of the regional cooperation programme between the Caribbean states and the USA to stem the flow of drugs through the Caribbean entering that country.
The agreement authorises United States law enforcement vessels to interdict in Guyana's air and maritime jurisdiction, aircraft or vessels suspected to be engaged in illicit trafficking according to prescribed procedures.
The agreement requires the two countries to establish a combined law enforcement shiprider programme and each party may designate a coordinator. Guyanese shipriders can embark on US law enforcement vessels, authorise pursuit by US law enforcement vessels of suspect craft fleeing into or over Guyanese territory, authorise US law enforcement vessels to conduct counter-drug patrols and enforce the laws of Guyana in Guyana's waters or seaward therefrom in the exercise of hot pursuit.
US shipriders can embark on Guyanese law enforcement vessels, advise and assist local law enforcement officials in the boarding of vessels to enforce local laws, enforce seaward of Guyana's territorial sea the laws of the US and authorise Guyanese vessels on which they are stationed to assist in the enforcement of US laws seaward of Guyana's waters.