Guyanese Army, Police ranks come under fire from notorious Venezuelan gang  

The Guyana Defence Force Thursday said that a joint patrol consisting of ranks from the army and the Guyana Police Force came under fire on Wednesday in the Cuyuni River.

The GDF said in a short statement said that shots were fired from the Venezuelan shore, reportedly by notorious Syndicato gang members but none of the ranks received injuries.

They returned fire, the GDF noted, advising that the patrol was part of a routine activity to protect the Guyana/Venezuela Border.

“Aggressive joint boat patrols by the Guyanese security forces have since been intensified in the Cuyuni River area,” the statement added.

Guyana’s border with Venezuela is more than 1000 kilometers long and patrols are conducted on a routine basis.

“Wednesday’s occurrence is not new and several measures are being explored towards resolution,” the GDF added.

Guyana and Venezuela are currently before the International Court as Venezuela continues to lay claims to Guyana’s Essequibo and part of its Exclusive Economic Zone.