The premier of the British Virgin Islands was arrested in Miami Thursday after allegedly agreeing to help a federal informant posing as a member of the Sinaloa cartel move thousands of kilos of cocaine through his country’s port, according to federal court documents.
The country’s top port official was also taken into custody on money laundering and drug conspiracy charges, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Miami.
Premier Andrew Fahie, 51, was arrested at Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport after boarding what had been portrayed as a private jet and inspecting shopping bags filled with $700,000 in cash, the complaint says.
“Why am I getting arrested,” he allegedly said, according to the documents. “I don’t have any money or drugs.”
Oleanvine Maynard, managing director of the country’s port authority, was arrested later Thursday after accepting a $200,000 payment as part of the deal.
A third person, who allegedly helped broker the the arrangement, was also listed as a defendant in the complaint. It wasn’t immediately clear if that person was in custody.
In a statement, British Virgin Islands Gov. John Rankin said the criminal investigation was not linked to a separate, United Kingdom-led inquiry examining corruption on the island.
“I realize this will be shocking news for people in the territory,” he said. “And I would call for calm at this time.”
In a separate statement, U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called the allegations “appalling” and said she was holding an emergency meeting with the territory’s cabinet later Thursday.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Fahie and Maynard have lawyers to speak on their behalf. Court records did not list any.
According to the documents, the informant met with Fahie, Maynard and the third person on April 7 on the island of Tortola and allegedly made a deal for “free passage” of 3,000 kilo shipments of cocaine heading from Colombia to the United States, according to the documents.
The Thursday meeting in Florida was described in the documents as a “test run” of the operation.
Fahie allegedly agreed to accept 12 percent of the proceeds of the sales, and the informant promised to send him low purity cocaine that local authorities could seize to make it appear that Fahie was cracking down on drug trafficking.
“Fahie loved the idea, and explained that in the past he never got paid at the end of his involvement in schemes like this,” the document says.
It wasn’t immediately clear when Fahie and Maynard would first appear in court.
Fahie, who was elected to office in 2019, is also chairman of the Virgin Islands Party. Maynard was appointed to her post in 2021.
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