British Virgin Islands: Premier Andrew Fahie arrested in US drug sting


The leader of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) has been arrested for alleged drug smuggling and money laundering in the US.

Premier Andrew Fahie was detained in Miami by US agents posing as cocaine traffickers from a Mexican drug cartel.

He agreed a $700,000 (£560,000) payment to allow traffickers to use BVI ports with an undercover informant, charges filed in the US said.
The arrests were made after DEA agents pretended to be cocaine traffickers from Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel - said to be the largest supplier of illegal drugs to the US market and formerly run by now-imprisoned drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán.

The trio have been charged with conspiracy to import more than 5kg (11lb) of cocaine into the US and conspiring to commit money laundering, authorities said.
Mr Fahie and the DEA informant also discussed setting up pre-arranged drug busts of money and low-quality drugs to make it look like the BVI leader was fighting crime in the islands, the charges said.

He told the informant during one meeting that the UK government had been trying for years to remove him from office, the documents claimed.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61266526