In a dramatic courtroom appearance that has reverberated across the Caribbean, former Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Elvis Nathaniel Curtis stood shackled before a New York judge on Friday, facing serious charges in an international drug trafficking operation that implicates high-level Bahamian officials.
The 51-year-old ex-law enforcement commander, who once oversaw security at Lynden Pindling International Airport and other critical Bahamian transit hubs, appeared calm and attentive during the proceedings despite wearing faded brown prison attire and restraints. Curtis and four co-defendants—William Simeon (52), Luis Fernando Orozco-Toro (58), Ulrique Jean Baptiste (53), and Lorielmo Steele-Pomare (59)—face multiple charges including cocaine importation conspiracy and firearms offenses.
According to federal prosecutors, the sophisticated trafficking scheme operated from May 2021 through late 2024, allegedly leveraging corrupt officials to facilitate cocaine shipments from The Bahamas to the United States. The most explosive allegation claims Curtis solicited a $2 million bribe on behalf of an unnamed ‘high-ranking Bahamian politician’ who promised to ensure law enforcement cooperation.
The hearing revealed evidentiary challenges, with defense attorneys noting the ‘voluminous’ nature of discovery materials, including untranslated Spanish conversations. Prosecutor Jonathan Bodansky acknowledged that additional evidence had emerged since the August hearing, prompting the adjournment.
Donna Newman, representing recently extradited Colombian national Steele-Pomare, requested additional preparation time, stating she would be ‘under pressure’ to review the extensive materials by the new February 25 conference date. Other defense attorneys did not object to the timeline.
The case expands beyond the five defendants, with at least eight additional alleged conspirators remaining at large, including former RBPF Sergeant Prince Albert Symonette. Court documents allege Curtis and Symonette accepted a $10,000 down payment in 2023 to facilitate a future 600kg cocaine shipment through Nassau airport.
The proceedings follow the guilty plea of Darrin Alexander Roker, a former Royal Bahamas Defence Force chief petty officer who faces up to 20 years imprisonment after admitting to cocaine importation conspiracy. His sentencing is scheduled for January 21.