The premier of the British Virgin Islands Andrew Fahie and the director of the small Caribbean territory’s ports Oleanvine Maynard were arrested Thursday at a Miami-Opa-locka Executive Airport, by federal agents on charges of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and money laundering, according to U.S. authorities.
The foreign officials were arrested after they met with undercover DEA agents posing as cocaine traffickers to check out an alleged shipment of $700,000 in cash on an airplane that they believed was destined for the British Virgin Islands, authorities told the Miami Herald. The DEA agents were posing as members of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.
Both government officials, who were in Miami for a cruise convention, went to the airport Thursday morning to see the alleged load of cash after DEA agents told them that the money was a payoff for allowing the cartel’s future cocaine loads to be transported through the British territory to the United States, authorities said. The British territory, an archipelago, has a population of only 30,000 and is adjacent to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss in a statement said she is appalled by the serious allegations
“This afternoon, the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Fahie, was arrested in the United States on charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering. I am appalled by these serious allegations. This arrest demonstrates the importance of the recently concluded Commission of Inquiry.”
Secretary Truss says she has spoken to the Governor of the BVI about the developments “I have spoken to the Governor of the BVI and he will be holding an emergency meeting of the Territory’s Cabinet later today. He will set out the next steps tomorrow, including urgent publication of the Inquiry’s report.”
Both Fahie and Maynard, who are being held at the Federal Detention Center, they will have their first appearances in Miami federal court on Friday afternoon. A third person, Kadeem Maynard, the son of BVI’s port director, was also arrested Thursday in connection with the undercover DEA case, but not in Miami, authorities said. All three defendants were charged with conspiring to import more than five kilos of cocaine into the United States and conspiring to commit money laundering.
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