Questions about the handling of sensitive information by U.S. authorities in Guyana have intensified, with social activist Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell-Holder calling for investigations into whether a U.S. official may have improperly shared information with individuals connected to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
Atwell-Holder made the allegations in a social media post published Tuesday, September 22, recounting her experience after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived at her Brooklyn home in March 2025 and detained her.
Her intervention comes amid heightened discussion on social media about the operations of the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown and follows an allegation made Monday night by social activist and immigration consultant Mark Benschop on his “Straight Up With Mark Benschop” programme that the U.S. Embassy in Guyana had been “compromised.”
Benschop’s allegation has not been independently substantiated. Likewise, Atwell-Holder has not identified a U.S. official or produced public evidence establishing that confidential information was improperly passed to PPP/C-linked individuals.
The issue has gained additional attention against the backdrop of the reported U.S. “visa review” involving High Court Justice Gino Persaud, who was stopped from boarding a Miami-bound flight while travelling to Jamaica for the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA) Annual Conference.
The CMJA conference is being held in Kingston from September 20–24, with judicial independence, access to justice and developments affecting judges and magistrates among its objectives. The official programme includes sessions addressing judicial independence, accountability and the rule of law.
Persaud is presently participating in the conference in Jamaica, despite the reported difficulty with his U.S. transit arrangements.
There is no publicly established evidence linking the judge’s visa review to Atwell-Holder’s allegations, and the U.S. Embassy has not publicly explained the circumstances surrounding Persaud’s visa status.
Atwell-Holder’s unanswered questions
Atwell-Holder’s concerns stem from what she says happened after ICE arrived at her Brooklyn residence in March 2025.
At the time, her attorney told an immigration judge that ICE had “just showed up at her door in Brooklyn.” Atwell-Holder was subsequently held at an ICE facility in Louisiana before being released on US$7,500 bail after more than two weeks in detention. The Department of Homeland Security told the court that the immigration case concerned a visa overstay and that there were no other charges against her.
In her post Tuesday, Atwell-Holder said three ICE agents and two other officials came to her home.
“I couldn’t understand why government officials would come to get me. I was thinking, ‘Damn, I must be very important!’”
She said what troubled her most came after her release, when she watched a broadcast by “Sour Ranger” and was struck by the amount of information he appeared to possess about the operation.
“The level of detail he was able to provide was astonishing. He gave what appeared to be a moment-by-moment account of what took place that morning in my apartment and what was said to my husband.”
Atwell-Holder said the apparent knowledge raised questions because, according to her, her family and friends had not yet been informed of her detention.
“How did he know so much about what transpired inside my home that morning, and who was providing him with that information before my own family and friends were even notified?”
She then raised the possibility that someone within the U.S. system had improperly shared information.
“I know a little about how certain U.S. officials operate, and based on what I’ve experienced, I have serious concerns that someone may have compromised their position and could be sharing information with individuals connected to the PPP.”
Atwell-Holder said she intends to raise questions with the FBI, U.S. Embassy in Guyana, British High Commission, Canadian High Commission and Transparency International, including concerns about U.S. officials operating from Guyana.
Previous allegations
Atwell-Holder has previously alleged that Guyanese political actors were involved in circumstances surrounding her detention. In April 2025, she claimed that information about her immigration status had reached political operatives unusually quickly and alleged that the Guyana Government was involved. The Government denied involvement.
Her U.S. deportation proceedings were subsequently terminated in April 2026. Kaieteur News reported that Immigration Judge Barbara Nelson found that her marriage to a U.S. citizen and pending residency applications superseded the original visa-overstay basis for the proceedings.
Atwell-Holder’s latest allegations therefore reopen questions she has raised previously, but with a new focus on the possible handling of information by U.S. officials.
The claims also arrive at a time when the reported visa review involving a sitting Guyanese High Court judge has generated public interest, although there is presently no evidence establishing that the two matters are connected.
Atwell-Holder ended her latest post with a blunt warning:
“If oil money could corrupt an entire country it sure as hell could corrupt a couple US government agents.”
Whether her concerns amount to evidence of wrongdoing remains to be determined. Any such conclusion would require an independent investigation and corroborating evidence.
