Criminal Penalties in French Guiana
While you are traveling in French Guiana, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don't have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. For example, one can be prosecuted under U.S. law for buying pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States.
Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if arrested in French Guiana, U.S. citizens have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. Embassy, located in Paramaribo, Suriname, of your arrest. U.S. citizens arrested in French Guiana also may request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities forward communications from you to the nearest U.S. embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname.
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