Google Ads

Showing posts with label cocaine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cocaine. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

President Trump on The Major Transit, and Illicit Drug Producing Countries of The World

Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2026


Trump's Drug War



By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States; including section 706(1) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228) (FRAA), I hereby identify the following countries as major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries: Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

A country’s presence on the foregoing list is not necessarily a reflection of its government’s counterdrug efforts or level of cooperation with the United States.  Consistent with the statutory definition of a major drug transit or major illicit drug producing country set forth in sections 481(e)(2) and 481(e)(5) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (Public Law 87-195) (FAA), the reason countries are placed on the list is the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be transited or produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures.

Pursuant to section 706(2)(A) of the FRAA, I hereby designate Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela as having failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to both adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements and to take the measures required by section 489(a)(1) of the FAA.  Included with this determination are justifications for the designations of Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela, as required by section 706(2)(B) of the FRAA.  I have also determined, in accordance with the provisions of section 706(3)(A) of the FRAA, that United States assistance to Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela is vital to the national interests of the United States.

Transnational organized crime’s trafficking of fentanyl and other deadly illicit drugs into the United States has created a national emergency, including a public health crisis in the United States that remains the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44.  More than 40 percent of Americans know someone who has died from an opioid overdose, and in 2024 the United States averaged over 200 deaths daily due to illicit drugs.

This remains unacceptable, and my Administration is deploying every aspect of American power and unprecedented resources to defeat this threat to our Nation.

First, I have secured our borders using the full range of law enforcement and military resources necessary to safeguard our Nation’s security and sovereignty.  For the first time in 4 years, our border is no longer an open sieve for drug terrorist cartels, human traffickers, and all others who would do our country harm.

American lives are being saved, with overdose deaths finally starting to recede significantly for the first time in over a decade.

I have also marshalled United States economic strength to compel greater cooperation from our North American neighbors to confront the drug threat and do their part.  In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by appointing a fentanyl czar and proposing legislation to increase the inspection powers of law enforcement, but more action is needed to stop fentanyl and other drugs from crossing our border and to arrest drug criminals exploiting Canadian territory.  In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum has increased cooperation to confront the powerful cartels that poison both our countries with drugs and violence.

Mexico has surged 10,000 National Guard troops to our shared border, achieved major fentanyl and precursor chemical seizures, and transferred 29 high-value targets – including major cartel figures – to United States custody to stand trial for their crimes.  My Administration has worked closely with President Sheinbaum to achieve the most secure southwest border in history, saving lives and protecting communities from the scourge of fentanyl.

This surge in Mexico’s efforts must be sustained and institutionalized.  Much more remains to be done by Mexico’s government to target cartel leadership, along with their clandestine drug labs, precursor chemical supply chains, and illicit finances.  Over the next year, the United States will expect to see additional, aggressive efforts by Mexico to hold cartel leaders accountable and disrupt the illicit networks engaged in drug production and trafficking.

The United States will work with Mexico and other countries to target these national security threats cooperatively where we can, and through our own sovereign authorities where necessary.

My decision to identify Mexico’s drug cartels and other transnational criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations opened new authorities for the United States to dismantle these groups using sanctions, expanded prosecution authorities, and other resources.  My Administration has also implemented visa restrictions against family members and close associates of drug traffickers to safeguard our country.

While the United States will devote all necessary resources to punish criminals enabling the production, transportation, and smuggling of illicit drugs across our borders, I will also call on countries where these drugs originate and transit to fulfill their obligations and shut off these supplies – or face serious consequences.

The PRC’s role as the world’s largest source of precursor chemicals fueling illicit fentanyl production has been well documented.  For too long, the PRC has enabled illicit fentanyl production in Mexico and elsewhere by subsidizing the export of the precursor chemicals needed to produce these deadly drugs and failing to prevent Chinese companies from selling these precursors to known criminal cartels.

For this reason, I took bold action to hold Beijing accountable by implementing an additional 20 percent tariff on the PRC for their failure to enact tangible, consequential reforms to stem the flow of precursor chemicals.  I also signed an Executive Order eliminating the duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from the PRC, which Chinese companies had used to hide illicit substances in the flow of legitimate commerce.

The PRC is also a major supplier fueling global epidemics of other synthetic narcotics, including nitazenes and methamphetamine.  The PRC’s leadership can and must take stronger and sustained action to cut down these chemical flows and prosecute the drug criminals facilitating them.

In Colombia, coca cultivation and cocaine production have surged to all-time records under President Gustavo Petro, and his failed attempts to seek accommodations with narco-terrorist groups only exacerbated the crisis.  Under President Petro’s leadership, coca cultivation and cocaine production have reached record highs while Colombia’s government failed to meet even its own vastly reduced coca eradication goals, undermining years of mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries against narco-terrorists.

For this reason, I have designated Colombia as having failed demonstrably to meet its drug control obligations.  Colombia’s security institutions and municipal authorities continue to show skill and courage in confronting terrorist and criminal groups, and the United States values the service and sacrifice of their dedicated public servants across all levels of government.

The failure of Colombia to meet its drug control obligations over the past year rests solely with its political leadership.  I will consider changing this designation if Colombia’s government takes more aggressive action to eradicate coca and reduce cocaine production and trafficking, as well as hold those producing, trafficking, and benefiting from the production of cocaine responsible, including through improved cooperation with the United States to bring the leaders of Colombian criminal organizations to justice.

In Venezuela, the criminal regime of indicted drug trafficker Nicolás Maduro leads one of the largest cocaine trafficking networks in the world, and the United States will continue to seek to bring Maduro and other members of his complicit regime to justice for their crimes.  We will also target Venezuelan foreign terrorist organizations such as Tren de Aragua and purge them from our country.

Bolivia’s government has taken some positive steps to increase cocaine seizures and to work with United States law enforcement to bring drug criminals to justice, including Maximiliano Dávila, the country’s corrupt former anti-drug chief.  However, much work remains for Bolivia to consistently uphold its counterdrug commitments and ensure that it is not a safe haven for narco-trafficking groups to thrive.

In Afghanistan, despite the Taliban’s announced ban on illegal drugs, drug stockpiles and ongoing production – including expanding production of methamphetamine – have sustained the flow of drugs to international markets.

Revenue from this drug trade funds transnational criminal groups and supports international terrorists.  Some members of the Taliban continue to profit from this trade, and I am once again designating Afghanistan as having failed demonstrably to uphold its drug control obligations given the serious threats to United States interests and international security.

September 15, 2025

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

U.S. Attorney of U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York - Announces Cocaine Importation Charges Against Chief Superintendent Of Royal Bahamas Police Force And Other Corrupt Bahamian Government Officials

Elvis Nathaniel Curtis and Other Corrupt Bahamian Officials Led Efforts to Support and Protect Large-Scale Cocaine Shipments Through The Bahamas en Route to the United States


Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging 13 defendants with cocaine importation and related weapons offenses in connection with their participation in a massive cocaine importation conspiracy enabled by corrupt Bahamian government officials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (“RBPF”).  ELVIS NATHANIEL CURTIS, an RBPF Chief Superintendent, and
Darren Roker
DARRIN ALEXANDER ROKER, a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (“RBDF”), were arrested on Monday in Florida and had their initial appearances yesterday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.  LORIELMO STEELE-POMARE, a/k/a “Steele” and WILLIAM SIMEON, a/k/a “Harvey Smith,” a/k/a “William Jacques,” a/k/a “Romeo Russell,” a/k/a “Dario Rolle,” were arrested overseas on Monday.  LUIS FERNANDO OROZCO-TORO was arrested overseas yesterday.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.


U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas with the support and protection of corrupt Bahamian government officials who control airports throughout the country and provide sensitive information about U.S. Coast Guard movements to drug traffickers.  This Indictment is the latest in a series of charges that this Office and the DEA’s Special Operations Division have brought against corrupt government officials around the globe who partner with dangerous cocaine traffickers.  Today’s charges should serve as yet another powerful wake-up call to corrupt officials everywhere—we will not rest until you are held accountable for your role in the drug trade that is poisoning this country and our community.  I commend the career prosecutors of this Office and our partners at the DEA for their tireless efforts to disrupt drug-fueled corruption wherever it takes hold.”


DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “The arrests of corrupt officials, including a leader of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and another government official in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, expose the alarming betrayal of public trust that has enabled tons of cocaine to flow through The Bahamas and into the United States.  In 2024, there was a 5.4% increase in cocaine seizures in the United States.  By abusing their positions to accept bribes, protect traffickers, and facilitate drug shipments via airports and maritime routes, these individuals jeopardized countless lives for personal gain.  Let this be a clear message from the DEA: if you are a government official who uses your power to traffic in drugs and corruption, we will bring you to justice in the United States.”


According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]


Since at least May 2021, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas for importation into the U.S. with the help and support of corrupt Bahamian government officials.  The Bahamas has in recent years become an increasingly important transshipment point for U.S.-bound cocaine.  This is a result, in part, of its proximity to the U.S., as the northernmost Bahamian islands are less than 100 nautical miles from the coast of Florida, making The Bahamas an attractive route for cocaine traffickers.


The increased cocaine flow through The Bahamas and into the U.S. has been a direct result of yearslong, drug-fueled corruption by certain officials in key Bahamian government institutions.  Such corruption includes certain high-ranking members of the RBPF and other Bahamian government officials who work with drug traffickers to receive, protect, and provide safe passage for massive cocaine shipments through the airports and ports of The Bahamas.  These corrupt officials support the drug trade into the U.S. at multiple levels.  First, cocaine-laden aircraft, including on U.S.-registered planes, are received at remote airstrips and larger airports in The Bahamas under the supervision of corrupt RBPF officials who work with, and accept bribes from, drug traffickers.  Then, once the cocaine arrives in The Bahamas, those corrupt officials also help drug traffickers transport their cocaine from the northernmost points of The Bahamas to the U.S. using go-fast vessels, yachts, and fishing boats.


The DEA has historically coordinated drug enforcement operations with the RBPF through a counternarcotics program called Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, or “OPBAT.”  Although OPBAT has had its share of successes in combatting the drug trade in the Caribbean, certain corrupt RBPF and Bahamian officials abuse the OPBAT program and their relationship with the DEA to disrupt U.S.-led law enforcement attempts to combat drug trafficking in The Bahamas.  Corrupt RBPF officials have, among other things, denied the DEA access to seized cocaine and evidence, provided information to the DEA that was contradicted by aerial surveillance, and even informed a DEA agent that certain drug trafficking targets were “off limits.”


As alleged, CURTIS is an RBPF Chief Superintendent who supervises airport locations throughout The Bahamas, including the Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau (the “Nassau Airport”), which is the largest airport in The Bahamas.  In exchange for bribes made by drug traffickers, CURTIS has abused his official position to, among other things, provide safe passage for cocaine shipments through airports in The Bahamas, with the assistance of other corrupt officials such as RBPF Sergeant PRINCE ALBERT SYMONETTE.  For instance, on or about October 18, 2023, CURTIS and SYMONETTE each accepted approximately $10,000 in bribe payments as a down payment for their assistance in what they understood to be an upcoming 600-kilogram cocaine shipment to The Bahamas through the Nassau Airport, for eventual distribution to the U.S.  Additionally, in or about September 2024, CURTIS explained that, in exchange for a $2 million bribe, a high-ranking Bahamian politician that CURTIS named would authorize the assistance and involvement of armed RBPF officials to facilitate incoming cocaine shipments.  CURTIS and ROKER also discussed abusing their official positions to transport drug proceeds from cocaine sales in the U.S. back to The Bahamas, including with Bahamian government and military aircraft.


Other corrupt Bahamian officials, such as ROKER, a Chief Petty Officer in the RBDF, have facilitated maritime drug trafficking activities through The Bahamas and into the U.S. by providing sensitive information about U.S. Coast Guard and DEA-led OPBAT operations to alert drug traffickers, in exchange for bribes.  RICCARDO ADOLPHUS DAVIS also purports to be an official in the Bahamian government who used his influence with corrupt Bahamian government officials to authorize drug trafficking facilitated by RBPF officials.


Drug traffickers who work with the RBPF and other Bahamian officials coordinate closely with pilots to fly their U.S.-bound cocaine shipments from Central and South America into The Bahamas.  These pilots also work for various Bahamian private charter companies that provide flight services to Bahamian citizens and foreign tourists who are visiting The Bahamas.


*                *                *


CURTIS, 51, of The Bahamas; SYMONETTE, 52, of The Bahamas; ROKER, 56, of The Bahamas; DAVIS, 59, of The Bahamas; SIMEON, 52, of The Bahamas; THEODORE NATHANIEL ADDERLEY, a/k/a “Blue,” 53, of The Bahamas; JOSHUA MCDONALD SCAVELLA, a/k/a “Cow,” 46, of The Bahamas; STEELE-POMARE, 59, of Colombia; OROZCO-TORO, 58, of Colombia; DAVON REVION KHAIM ROLLE, 34, of The Bahamas; DARREN ARTHUR FERGUSON, a/k/a “Hubba,” 54, of The Bahamas; DOMONICK DELANCY, 36, of The Bahamas; and DONALD FREDERICK FERGUSON II, a/k/a “DJ,” a/k/a “Billy,” 26, of The Bahamas, are charged with cocaine importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; using and carrying firearms during, and possessing firearms in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and conspiring to use and carry firearms during, and possessing firearms in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.


The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.


Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division’s Bilateral Investigations Unit, Nassau Country Office, Bogota Country Office, and Panama City Country Office, as well as the assistance of the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.


The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky, Nicholas S. Bradley, and Juliana N. Murray are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


If you or someone you know has information about the conduct in this case, please contact the DEA’s tip line at BahamasNarcoTips@dea.gov
 



[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitutes only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


Contact

Nicholas Biase, Shelby Wratchford
(212) 637-2600

Source