Category: CANA News

The Antigua and Barbuda government has made public the letter sent to the United States regarding its decision to facilitate third country refugees so as to mitigate scenarios where Washington cannot return these individuals to their state of birth or origin.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne, speaking on his weekly radio programme, said that the letter sent to Washington in August last year details a number of concerns that Antigua and Barbuda had regarding the acceptance of refugees that were being expelled from the United States to third party countries.

He told radio listeners that under normal circumstances, he would not have released the sensitive details of the letter to the public, but he wanted to inform Antigua and Barbudans that his administration had approached the matter with due care and attention.

‘This letter sent five months ago showed our intent to cooperate with the US government. However, at the same time, expressing our concerns about certain aspects and literally stating just how we see this issue and how we will participate in the programme. ‘Now, I am not sure if this is what provoked the ire of certain individuals, but we could not just have accepted refugees and deportee without expressing those concerns,’ Browne said on the programme.

He said that he published the letter to further concretise in the minds of the population that the government was not ‘frivolous’ on the issue and that the matter was first discussed as much as six months ago with multiple countries including many here in the Caribbean

‘In the context of members of the opposition seeking to exploit this issue for political purposes, they have been suggesting that we are allowing criminal elements into the country and that we will have thousands of them. This is not so! We are getting licks from within as our political opponents are using lies and misinformation to create mayhem within the society,’Browne said.

He remain adamant that as a government ‘both he and the Cabinet had to defend the national interest even if that means that certain actions are taken against Antigua and Barbuda.

‘We have to stand firm on principle,’ he said on the radio programme, adding that there is a view that taking such a stance would prejudice the issue of entry visas to the United States.

But Prime Minister Browne maintains that if Antigua and Barbuda had agreed to accept large numbers of criminals that this act would destabilise the country and assured the population that high-level discussions are underway with senior US government representatives to have the matter resolved as soon as possible.

Apart from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis have all announced reaching agreement with Washington on the issue.

According to the August 11, 2025 letter, which was sent to Michael Kozak, the senior bureau official at the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the US Sate Department, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, wrote ‘For the avoidance of doubt, only individuals who are (i) designated refugees under U.S. law or (ii) registered asylum seekers with a pending, non-frivolous asylum application recognized by U.S. authorities are within scope (‘Eligible Persons’).

‘No other category of inadmissible, removable, or ‘illegal’ immigrant in the United States is eligible for transfer under this Understanding.’

The letter also notes that ‘Antigua and Barbuda will consider only persons who. have no criminal convictions other than immigration-status offenses; have no pending charges; are not subject to sex-offender registration; are not on terrorism, organized-crime, or sanctions lists; and are not otherwise excludable on security grounds’.

St. John’s said that these persons should possess ‘a certified skill or professional licence recognized by the relevant regulatory authorities of Antigua and Barbuda; and demonstrate at least basic working proficiency in English.’

Former prime minister of Haiti, Jean Henry Céant, says he does not support the move by the Bishop of the Diocese of Anse-à-Veau and MiragoSne, Mgr Pierre André Dumas, to serve as a mediator in order to prevent possible chaos in Haiti as the mandate of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) comes to an end on February 7.

Céant, who served as prime minister for a seven month duration before his government lost a vote of no confidence on March,18, 2019, said a letter to Mgr Dumas, who is also the Vice-President of the Haitian Episcopal Conference, that he learnt of his decision to serve as a mediator ‘with profound astonishment, mixed with sadness and dismay’. ‘.by offering yourself as a mediator, you are entering a highly political arena,’ Céant wrote in his January 11, 2026 letter.

Last week, the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) called on all stakeholders in Haiti to demonstrate patriotism above all other sentiments if Haitians are to determine their own destiny.

‘Given the sustained efforts of CARICOM and the international community in supporting a Haitian-led process, the EPG is deeply concerned by the tardiness of the stakeholders to find common ground and coalesce around a Haitian-led consensual agreement on an alternative transitional process despite the points of convergence in the multiple proposals made public,’ the EPG said in a statement.

In his letter to Laurent Saint-Cyr, President pro tempore and Coordinator of the CPT, Mgr Dumas, said that at least 15 coalitions from the political, economic, and civil society sectors ‘have asked me to lead a mediation effort to reach a consensus on establishing an Executive government by February 7, 2026..

‘Although I am still recovering, after careful consideration and reflection, I accept, with gravity and awareness, to lead this mediation, because no sacrifice is too great to prevent the country from descending into chaos after February 7.’

The Roman Catholic Church official said that as part of this mediation, ‘I would like to meet with you on Thursday, January 22nd or Friday, January 23rd, at your convenience, to update you on this process and to obtain the official position of the CPT.

‘You, as a politician, and I, as a shepherd, must combine our efforts to avoid the chaos that threatens the country if we do not anticipate the events following February 7th. I continue to keep the CPT in my prayers,’ Mgr Dumas wrote.

But Céant, 69, who last November was sanctioned by the Canadian government for his involvement in alleged human rights violations and supporting criminal gangs, said as a former economic advisor to the Catholic Church, and a political leader aware of the institutional and national implications of any public stance, ‘I cannot hide from you that this initiative has deeply offended me.

‘Never, in my memory as a believer, have I felt so disconcerted by the position of a prelate whom I have long respected, admired, and held in high esteem within the clergy. The Church remains for me a spiritual and moral refuge, and it is precisely in this place of consolation that this action has caused me such a deep wound.’

He recalled the events of March 9, 2024, in which he said the Roman Catholic Bishop ‘co-signed a document condemning, without prior trial, fellow citizens deemed ‘sanctioned’ who had nonetheless placed their trust and veneration in you.

‘I want to believe that this act was committed against your better judgment, but it nonetheless marked a painful rupture between you and a segment of the faithful, leaving a wound that remains raw within the Church community.

‘Today, by offering yourself as a mediator, you are entering a highly political arena, even though your past position places you, in effect, among the stakeholders,’Céant wrote, adding ‘my point is not about the principle of mediation itself, which I consider necessary in any society in crisis, but about the credibility of the proposed mediator in the specific context the country is experiencing.

‘Under these circumstances, allow me to express my doubts about your ability to embody the neutrality, moral integrity, and detachment essential for credible and truly calming mediation.’

Céant said he is aware that the country’s situation ‘is unfolding within a context of intense international pressure and critical institutional deadlines.

‘It is precisely to prevent these constraints from resulting in hasty, contested, or perceivably imposed choices that I believe it is necessary to exercise extreme caution in the mediations undertaken, especially when they touch upon the core of institutional legitimacy and recall the processes that led to the establishment of the current CPT.

‘Therefore, in the best interests of the country and in order to preserve what remains of institutional credibility, I respectfully appeal to the discernment of the other members of the CPT to reject this mediation proposal, which is exclusionary and, as it stands, cannot contribute to a just and peaceful resolution of the current crisis.’

Céant said that Mgr Dumas still has ‘an essential role to play: that of a pastor, a man of prayer, conscience, and repentance, capable of uniting people through humility and discretion rather than through self-promotion.

‘A resolute return to prayer, confession, and the pursuit of forgiveness would, in my view, be an act of profound spirituality and reconciliation with the people of God.

‘I remain convinced that the faith of this people remains intact. It is precisely to preserve it that I express this position, with conviction but without hatred, with firmness but without denying the respect due to your august office,’ Céant wrote.

The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Monday said it has issued a wide-ranging national early warning alert following the conviction of one of three persons for the possession of ecstasy tablets.

CANU said that the alerts have been issued to emergency departments so that they can monitor for ecstasy-related cases with symptoms such as overheating and dehydration, rapid heart rate, confusion, agitation, or collapse and risk of seizures.

‘Health officials and first responders are advised that MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) tablets vary widely in strength and may be adulterated with other dangerous substances,’ CANU said in a statement.

It urged increased vigilance especially among youth and young adults because of heightened danger when MDMA is mixed with alcohol or other drugs.

CANU said MDMA-related emergencies often occur in nightlife or party settings.

Last week, Devon Grant and Lily Wills were for the possession of 164 grammes of ecstasy for the purpose of trafficking on January 3. Grant pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and fined GUY$30,0000 (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) while Lily pleaded not guilty and was granted GUY$100,000 bail. She returns to court on February 2.

CANU said a third person was not charged because of insufficient evidence.

It said the three were arrested when agents intercepted a vehicle at Movietowne, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown and found a total of 164 grammes of ecstasy in ziploc bags.

‘The operation, executed based on actionable intelligence, resulted in the interception of a vehicle with three occupants and the discovery of several zip-locked packets containing brightly coloured pills. Field testing indicated the presence of amphetamine-type stimulants, which was later forensically confirmed by the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) to be MDMA,’ CANU said.

It said that MDMA is now in Guyana, suggesting ‘active distribution’ and strongly advised the public not to consume unlabeled pills, regardless of colour, shape, or packaging.

‘The tablets seized in this incident were pink and green and packaged in multiple small Ziplock bags,’ the agency said, adding that as part of the alert, law enforcement agencies will icrease their monitoring of entertainment districts, enhanced surveillance of micro-distribution networks and strengthening intelligence sharing with v enue security team

Meanwhile, CANU is reporting that it has seized over GUY443 million of illicit drugs last year during a collaborative effort with key national stakeholders.

According to figures released by CANU on Monday 235.9 kg of cocaine, 726.3 kg of cannabis, 674 grams of ecstasy, 83 grams of methamphetamine, and 9.16 grams of cannabis products had been seized between January 1 and December 31 last year.

The estimated cost for the seized drugs is GUY$433,973,770; GUY$235.9 million worth of cocaine and GUY$197.7 million worth of cannabis, representing 99 per cent of the total street value.

According to CANU, the statistics showed that cocaine and cannabis remained the two dominant threats, representing the majority of trafficking attempts into and through Guyana.

But CANU said this represents a major reduction in cocaine quantities compared to 2024, linked to a single extraordinary seizure that occurred in Region One the previous year.

The statistics also showed that the highest cocaine seizures of 172.8kg were recorded in Region Four, while Region Six recorded the highest cannabis seizure of 576kg.

With respect to arrests and charges, there were 117 arrests made, with 62 persons being charged in 2025 with approximately 82 per cent of all arrests being male.

CANU said it had also seized 13 firearms last year, with 9mm pistols being the most common weapon type. Half of all firearms recovered were directly linked to narcotic trafficking operations.

According to the report, ammunition seizures declined by 62 per cent, but the presence of 9mm and shotgun ammunition reflects continued overlap between drug and firearm networks.

Golfers Zandre Roye and Oshae Haye have been selected to represent Jamaica at the 11th staging of the Latin America Amateur Golf Championship (LAAC).

The championships will be held at the Lima Golf Club in Peru from January 15-18.

It will be Roye’s third appearance at LAAC, having participated in 2024 and 2025, while it will be Haye’s second, adding to his performance in 2024. Roye and Haye’s first challenge will be making the cut after the opening two days. Jamaica’s best placement at the championship is 24th by Ian Facey back in 2015.

Over 100 golfers from 28 countries will take part in the championship this year. The list includes competitors from Barbados, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, hosts Peru, Argentina and Mexico.

The LAAC was founded by the Masters Tournament, The R and A and the USGA in 2014. It was established to further develop amateur golf in South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean

The Antigua and Barbuda government has made public the letter sent to the United States regarding its decision to facilitate third country refugees so as to mitigate scenarios where Washington cannot return these individuals to their state of birth or origin.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne, speaking on his weekly radio programme, said that the letter sent to Washington in August last year details a number of concerns that Antigua and Barbuda had regarding the acceptance of refugees that were being expelled from the United States to third party countries.

He told radio listeners that under normal circumstances, he would not have released the sensitive details of the letter to the public, but he wanted to inform Antigua and Barbudans that his administration had approached the matter with due care and attention.

‘This letter sent five months ago showed our intent to cooperate with the US government. However, at the same time, expressing our concerns about certain aspects and literally stating just how we see this issue and how we will participate in the programme. ‘Now, I am not sure if this is what provoked the ire of certain individuals, but we could not just have accepted refugees and deportee without expressing those concerns,’ Browne said on the programme.

He said that he published the letter to further concretise in the minds of the population that the government was not ‘frivolous’ on the issue and that the matter was first discussed as much as six months ago with multiple countries including many here in the Caribbean

‘In the context of members of the opposition seeking to exploit this issue for political purposes, they have been suggesting that we are allowing criminal elements into the country and that we will have thousands of them. This is not so! We are getting licks from within as our political opponents are using lies and misinformation to create mayhem within the society,’Browne said.

He remain adamant that as a government ‘both he and the Cabinet had to defend the national interest even if that means that certain actions are taken against Antigua and Barbuda.

‘We have to stand firm on principle,’ he said on the radio programme, adding that there is a view that taking such a stance would prejudice the issue of entry visas to the United States.

But Prime Minister Browne maintains that if Antigua and Barbuda had agreed to accept large numbers of criminals that this act would destabilise the country and assured the population that high-level discussions are underway with senior US government representatives to have the matter resolved as soon as possible.

Apart from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis have all announced reaching agreement with Washington on the issue.

According to the August 11, 2025 letter, which was sent to Michael Kozak, the senior bureau official at the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the US Sate Department, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, wrote ‘For the avoidance of doubt, only individuals who are (i) designated refugees under U.S. law or (ii) registered asylum seekers with a pending, non-frivolous asylum application recognized by U.S. authorities are within scope (‘Eligible Persons’).

‘No other category of inadmissible, removable, or ‘illegal’ immigrant in the United States is eligible for transfer under this Understanding.’

The letter also notes that ‘Antigua and Barbuda will consider only persons who. have no criminal convictions other than immigration-status offenses; have no pending charges; are not subject to sex-offender registration; are not on terrorism, organized-crime, or sanctions lists; and are not otherwise excludable on security grounds’.

St. John’s said that these persons should possess ‘a certified skill or professional licence recognized by the relevant regulatory authorities of Antigua and Barbuda; and demonstrate at least basic working proficiency in English.’

In an effort to assemble their best possible team for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Cricket West Indies (CWI) have reached out to Nicholas Pooran to find out whether he is interested in making a comeback.

However, according to Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, it does not appear as though the 29-year-old T20 star is contemplating coming out of retirement to take part in the global showpiece.

Pooran shocked the world when he announced his retirement from international cricket last June and has since been plying his trade in the various T20 franchises across the globe.

With CWI set to name their World Cup squad following the completion of their upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan later this month, Bascombe revealed that moves had been made to contact Pooran. He said those efforts had been unsuccessful to date.

‘What I can say is that we have made every effort to ensure that we can have the best players represent the West Indies.

‘I could definitely say that we have probed. Pooran was quite aware that the World Cup was upcoming and his decision to retire would have been with that knowledge,’ Bascombe said while speaking on WESN TV on Saturday.

‘So, we probed and we saw that he mentioned not too long ago that he was quite happy to stick to his decision, so I could say that we probed.’

When asked if CWI had enquired whether West Indies legends Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard or Andre Russell were interested in being part of the team’s management unit for the World Cup, Bascombe said they had.

He revealed that a packed schedule was one of the reasons they had been given for not being able to make such a commitment.

‘We have put out feelers. We’ve asked questions about availability, etcetera, but as you can understand the World Cup pretty much flows into the IPL [Indian Premier League], so anyone who would come on board as part of our team management would pretty much have to sacrifice a lot of time away.

‘We’ve probed and some of the feedback we’ve gotten is that it would mean that they would have to spend an extended time away.and if they go to the World Cup, it would mean that they would have to spend quite a lot of time away from home because they will be at the World Cup and then going to the IPL,’ Bascombe explained.

Jamaica’s Danielle Williams set a world-leading indoor time in the women’s 60-metre hurdles on her way to winning gold at the Clemson Invitational indoor track and field meet here on Saturday.

Williams, a two-time World Champion, raced to victory in 7.94 seconds, ahead of compatriot Onika Williams in 8.04 seconds.

Three other Jamaican athletes also copped gold medals, with University of Georgia’s Dejanae Oakley and the Clemson University pair of Shantae Foreman and Kimeka Smith topping their respective events.

Oakley ran a personal best of 35.94 seconds to win the women’s 300m, beating teammate Shaquena Foote (36.50) into second position, while Foreman produced an indoor personal best leap of 6.50 metres to win the women’s long jump, the second best all time at Clemson. That effort saw her tied for second on the NCAA ranking list.

Former Excelsior High athlete Smith threw a personal best 15.98m to win the women’s shot put in her first collegiate competition. The effort was fifth all-time for Clemson.

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it has in recent days detained the ‘worst of the worst’ criminals including those convicted of sexual assault of a child, assault, and human trafficking.

DHS Assistant Secretary, Tricia McLaughlin,said pedophiles, violent thugs, and human traffickers have been removed from American communities. McLaughlin said the arrests included Jamaicans, Duane Alando Spence convicted for aggravated battery-great bodily harm in Miami and Marvin McGregor, convicted of third-degree murder, firearms possession, and recklessly endangering another person in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania as well as Brett Archer, a Barbadian national convicted of assault in Brooklyn, New York.

She said others arrested included Randolfo Agusto Diaz-Cabrera, a Dominican Republic national convicted of second-degree sexual conduct against a child in Kings County, New York; Desiderio Marte Vargas, another Dominican Republic national, convicted of attempted murder and unlawful possession of a weapon in Paterson, New Jersey;

Cubans Duniesky Eugenio Delgado-Gazo, convicted for aggravated assault in Pensacola, Florida and Yusney Figueroa Arguelles, convicted of robbery with a firearm in Orlando, Florida, have also been detained.

McLaughlin said under President Donald Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is targeting and removing ‘the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens terrorising American families’.

McLaughlin said 70 per cent of ICE arrests are of criminal illegal immigrants with charges or convictions in the United States.

‘In 2026, with a 120 per cent increase in manpower, ICE is unleashed to arrest even more criminal illegal aliens and get them out of our country,’ she said.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Monday, January 12, 2025.

PORT AU PRINCE – Former prime minister of Haiti, Jean Henry Céant, says he does not support the move by the Bishop of the Diocese of Anse-à-Veau and MiragoSne, Mgr Pierre André Dumas, to serve as a mediator in order to prevent possible chaos in Haiti as the mandate of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) comes to an end on February 7.

CASTRIES – Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre says he is under no illusion that the road ahead will be challenging for St. Lucia as the island became the fourth Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to reach an agreement with the United States to facilitate third country refugees so as to mitigate scenarios where Washington cannot return these individuals to their state of birth or origin.

ST. JOHN’S – The Antigua and Barbuda government has made public the letter sent to the United States regarding its decision to facilitate third country refugees so as to mitigate scenarios where Washington cannot return these individuals to their state of birth or origin.

ABU DHABI – Dominica is urging small island developing states (SIDS) not to pursue geothermal energy development unless they have strong partners to help cover costs and provide technical expertise.

GEORGETOWN – United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, says the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country needs to have in place an opposition leader based on the results of the September 1 general and regional elections that resulted in the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) being returned to office.

SPORTS:

ST JOHN’S – In an effort to assemble their best possible team for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Cricket West Indies (CWI) have reached out to Nicholas Pooran to find out whether he is interested in making a comeback.

KINGSTON – Golfers Zandre Roye and Oshae Haye have been selected to represent Jamaica at the 11th staging of the Latin America Amateur Golf Championship (LAAC).

Sherfane Rutherford’s second consecutive Player-of-the-Match performance helped to seal the Pretoria Capitals’ comfortable 53-run victory over MI Cape Town and send them top of the SA20 here on Monday.

Rutherford bludgeoned 53 off 27 balls in a boundary-laden knock that contained five sixes and three fours, as the Capitals ended on 185 for six in their 20 overs at SuperSport Park. The West Indian shared a 69-run partnership in just under six overs with Dewald Brevis, who made 34 off 19 balls, and together with Andre Russell, who made 11 not out, they added 27 runs off the last nine balls before Rutherford was dismissed off the final ball of the innings.

Despite an unbeaten half century by Reeza Hendricks, Cape Town could only muster 132 for seven in their allotted overs.

Hendricks finished on 68 not out off 50 balls and was the lone bright spark in an otherwise lacklustre batting display by Cape Town.

Gideon Peters was the Capitals’ best bowler with 3-32 from his four overs.