On October 31, 2025, just days before Guyana’s newly elected parliament was set to convene, the nation’s political landscape was thrown into turmoil as authorities arrested Azruddin Mohamed, the incoming opposition leader and one of the country’s most prominent businessmen. The arrest, which also included his father, Nazar Mohamed, followed a formal extradition request from the United States and has ignited fierce debate about democracy, corruption, and the future of Guyanese politics.
Azruddin Mohamed, 38, heads the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, a political force that made a stunning debut in the September 1 general election by capturing 16 out of 65 seats, securing its place as the main opposition party behind the long-dominant People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The WIN party’s rapid rise has shaken up the traditional political order in this oil-rich South American country, and Azruddin himself was widely expected to be elected opposition leader when parliament reconvened on November 3, 2025.
The drama began to unfold when, on October 30, Guyanese authorities received a formal extradition request from the U.S. government. The following day, police moved in and arrested both Azruddin and his father Nazar, a well-known gold magnate. The charges, unsealed by a federal grand jury in Florida earlier in October, include money laundering, bribery, tax evasion, wire and mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit fraud. According to Attorney General Anil Nandlall, the allegations stem from a sprawling scheme involving the smuggling of more than 22,000 pounds (10,000 kilograms) of gold from Guyana to the United States and the evasion of over $50 million in taxes.
“The Mohameds are the subject of an indictment unsealed on Oct. 6, 2025, by a United States Grand Jury sitting in the Southern District of Florida, which charges them with multiple offences including wire fraud, mail fraud, money-laundering, conspiracy, aiding and abetting and customs-related violations connected to an alleged US $50 million gold export and tax evasion scheme,” Nandlall stated in a social media posting, as reported by Reuters and the Associated Press.
The U.S. Treasury Department had already sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed, his father, and their family business, Mohamed’s Enterprise, in 2024 for their alleged involvement in gold smuggling and tax evasion. Reuters noted that U.S. authorities had been investigating the family for years, and the recent indictment brought the matter to a head just as Azruddin was poised to take on a powerful new role in Guyanese politics.
After their arrest, both Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed were brought before a Georgetown magistrate, where they appeared handcuffed together and surrounded by masked police officers. The scene drew dozens of supporters to the courthouse, many chanting “We want Mohamed!” and demanding their release. The magistrate granted bail at $750 each, ordered the men to surrender their passports, and scheduled the next hearing for November 10. The extradition process, if approved, could still be challenged in Guyanese courts, and ultimately, the Caribbean Court of Justice could serve as the final arbiter.
Azruddin Mohamed, addressing reporters outside the courthouse, was adamant about his innocence and sought to distance himself from the gold export business at the heart of the allegations. “I am innocent,” he declared, according to Reuters. “The exportation of gold is not my business. It is my father’s business. I am a gold miner.”
The WIN party and the Mohamed family have denounced the arrests as politically motivated. Khamelia Mohamed, Azruddin’s sister and a WIN party spokesperson, did not mince words: “If this is what democracy looks like in Guyana, then we are in a very sad state. If this is a deliberate tactic to prevent him from taking this role as opposition leader, then all I can say is that we are in a very sad state,” she told reporters outside the courthouse, as reported by local and international media.
Odessa Primus, general secretary of the WIN party, echoed those sentiments, suggesting that the manner of the arrest was designed to embarrass the Mohameds and undermine the party’s legitimacy. The family’s lawyers, meanwhile, argued that some of the offenses listed in the U.S. indictment “are not extraditable offenses under the laws of our land or even the extradition treaty” that Guyana maintains, as attorney Siand Dhurjon told the Associated Press.
The political context of the arrests cannot be ignored. The WIN party’s emergence has upended the long-standing rivalry between the PPP and its traditional opponents. Once close to the PPP, the Mohameds and their allies have since become bitter adversaries, with the ruling party making no secret of its desire to sideline Azruddin from the national stage. President Irfaan Ali, recently reelected in September, has emphasized the importance of the rule of law and the need to address corruption, but critics argue that the timing and spectacle of the arrests raise troubling questions about political interference and due process.
For Guyana, a nation experiencing rapid economic transformation thanks to newfound oil wealth, the case underscores persistent concerns about corruption and the integrity of public institutions. The country has long struggled with allegations of graft, and the Mohameds’ legal troubles have become a flashpoint for broader debates about transparency, accountability, and foreign influence.
International observers are watching closely, as the outcome of the extradition proceedings could set important precedents for how Guyana navigates its relationships with powerful partners like the United States. The case also highlights the challenges facing emerging democracies where the lines between business, politics, and justice can sometimes blur.
As the November 3 parliamentary session approaches, uncertainty hangs over the opposition benches. Will Azruddin Mohamed be able to assume his seat as opposition leader, or will his legal battles sideline him at a critical juncture for Guyanese democracy? For now, the only certainty is that Guyana’s political future remains as unpredictable as ever, with the eyes of the nation—and much of the world—firmly fixed on Georgetown’s courts.
