In a landmark bust that marks the largest single drug seizure in Jamaica’s documented history, three Colombian nationals are now facing a raft of serious drug and immigration charges after law enforcement intercepted a cargo of cocaine worth more than $11 million USD (equivalent to J$1.65 billion). The high-stakes operation unfolded in the early hours of Saturday, March 21, off the Jamaican coast, according to official statements from Jamaican security agencies.
The three defendants, all working fishermen from different regions of Colombia, have been identified as 39-year-old Lucio Henry from San Andres, 34-year-old Arith Lopez from Barranquilla, and 22-year-old Klein Sinclair from Providence. Each faces six separate charges: possession of cocaine, trafficking of cocaine, importation of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, conspiracy to traffic cocaine, and illegal entry into Jamaican territory.
Authorities from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) first intercepted the unregistered fishing vessel roughly an hour before dawn on March 21, when the boat was operating off the coast of Alligator Pond in the parish of St Elizabeth. Search teams found all three Colombian men on board the vessel, alongside 99 tightly knitted fabric bags hiding the contraband. After the interception, the JDF Coast Guard escorted the vessel and its seized cargo to the service’s base in Port Royal, Kingston. Later that same day, the case and evidence were transferred to investigators from the Firearms and Narcotics Investigations Division (FNID) for further processing.
When forensic teams unpacked the sealed bags, they uncovered more than 2,400 individual parcels of cocaine, with a total gross weight exceeding 6,000 pounds. This tonnage sets a new record for the largest single cocaine seizure ever recorded in Jamaica, according to law enforcement officials.
FNID Director Superintendent of Police Patrae Rowe framed the historic bust as proof of the effectiveness of cross-agency collaboration in Jamaica’s war on illegal drug trafficking. “Our efforts are paying off, our strategies are working, our targeted approach in terms of our operational output and our stakeholder engagement has improved sufficiently that we are seeing the kind of results that we are seeing,” Rowe said in an official statement following the charges.
The legal process moved forward steadily after the seizure: the accused men underwent formal questioning on March 24, with their legal representatives and a certified interpreter present. Formal charges were officially filed against all three on March 31. The trio is scheduled to make their first court appearance before the Kingston & St Andrew Parish Court on April 7. Jamaica has long been a key transshipment point for cocaine traffickers moving product from South America to North American and European markets, making large seizures like this a critical priority for disrupting regional criminal networks.