Accused drug trafficker wants extradition to US reversed

Shurlan Guppy -

Accused Trinidadian drug trafficker Shurlan Guppy, who was extradited to the United States on August 5, has asked the High Court to order his return to TT. Guppy, 47, is in federal custody in Pennsylvania, facing 11 charges related to heroin and cocaine trafficking valued at about $1 million.

He first appeared in court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on August 12.

Guppy had been under investigation by the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Division since 2019. He was arrested on September 26, 2023, at his Goodwood Park, Westmoorings home. Acting Chief Magistrate Christine Charles approved his extradition on July 31, 2024, a decision upheld by then-High Court judge Ricky Rahim in December 2024. The Court of Appeal later cleared the way for his extradition in March 2025.

Guppy’s attorneys filed a special leave application to the Privy Council in London, which remains pending. They argue that despite an undertaking from state attorneys not to proceed with extradition during the 56-day appeal window, Guppy was sent to the US while his case was still before the UK court.

In his constitutional claim, Guppy claims the State breached his rights under the Extradition (Commonwealth and Foreign Territories) Act and violated its undertaking. He is seeking declarations, compensation, and vindicatory damages, as well as an order for his return to TT.

At a High Court hearing on November 6, Guppy’s attorney, Mario Merritt, joined by Alexia Romero, Randall Raphael, and Enrique Singh, objected to the State’s request for an adjournment. State attorney Ian Roach, led by Senior Counsel Ian Benjamin and the head of the Central Authority, Sheriza Khan-Heinz, suggested the court wait for a decision from the Privy Council on the special leave application.

Roach argued that Guppy’s extradition occurred after the 56-day period expired and that an order compelling his return was “not possible.” Merritt countered that the State’s actions showed “complete disrespect for the rule of law,” saying Guppy was removed “in the dead of night” while his Privy Council appeal was active.

Roach rejected that description, saying Guppy’s removal was lawful and conducted after the undertaking had lapsed. He said any finding of unlawful extradition could result only in damages, not repatriation. Merritt disagreed, citing a Jamaican precedent where that government successfully sought the return of a citizen extradited before appeal completion.

Justice Jacqueline Wilson adjourned the matter to January 26, 2026, pending updates on the Privy Council proceedings, saying it was practical to await the higher court’s ruling before giving further directions.

The indictment against Guppy in the US court alleges that from approximately 2017 to July 2022, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the District of Delaware and elsewhere, Guppy conspired with others to distribute bulk amounts of various controlled substances, including heroin and cocaine.

The indictment further alleges that Guppy distributed such controlled substances in person and by other means, including through various delivery services in exchange for cash.

Guppy and the others communicated with each other in person and via cellphones, the indictment alleges, sometimes on FaceTime and through the encrypted internet/phone application WhatsApp, to discuss pricing, availability, and delivery and payment arrangements for controlled substances, sometimes using coded language to describe their drug trafficking activities.

If convicted of all charges, Guppy faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment.

In Trinidad, Guppy maintained claims of entrapment, bad faith, selective prosecution and disproportionate interference with his family life in his extradition proceedings. These were rejected by the High Court and the Appeal Court.