Three fishermen charged after $703-million cocaine haul off Portland Ridge

Three fishermen, two Jamaicans and one Colombian, have been slapped with a raft of narcotics charges after the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard seized cocaine valued at $703 million in waters off Portland Ridge, Clarendon, last week.

The accused are Jonothan Daluqua Latarda, 48, of Riohacha, Colombia; boat captain Delbert Passelle, 48, otherwise called 'Glen', of Cove district in Lucea, Hanover; and Leroy Donovan Holding, 42, otherwise called 'Bud', of Poorman's Corner in Yallahs, St Thomas.

Each man is facing charges of possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, trafficking in cocaine, importing cocaine, and conspiracy to import cocaine. Latarda has also been hit with an additional charge of illegal entry.

According to investigators, the case grew out of a joint operation on Wednesday, April 22, when a JDF Coast Guard crew on routine maritime patrol stopped a vessel roughly 20 miles off Portland Ridge. The occupants were detained on reasonable suspicion of breaching the Dangerous Drugs Act.

A search of the boat reportedly turned up 37 knitted bags holding 1,053 rectangular parcels of a substance believed to be cocaine. Police place the combined weight at about 1,172.4 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of $703 million.

The boat, the three men and the contraband were taken to the JDF Coast Guard Base at Port Royal, Kingston, where officers attached to the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) were called in. Forensic investigators from FNID later processed the scene and documented the contents of the bags in the presence of the accused.

On Wednesday, April 29, buccal swabs were collected from the trio while they were held at the Kingston Central Police Station, after which they were formally charged. The men are slated to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday, May 7. The investigation continues.