A 52-year-old man from Abaco, The Bahamas, has received a federal prison sentence of five years and four months in a U.S. court following his guilty plea in a major cross-border smuggling conspiracy that moved hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and dozens of undocumented migrants from The Bahamas to Florida. Ivan Curry, one of five co-defendants connected to the 2023 interception of three smuggling vessels, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison term, according to federal court records.
Curry’s sentencing on Monday marked one of several completed sentencings for the group, whose operation was uncovered through months of covert surveillance by U.S. law enforcement. The case traces back to September 2023, when authorities intercepted three high-speed “go-fast” boats carrying 168 kilograms of cocaine and 31 Chinese nationals en route to Florida. All five defendants arrested in the operation have since pleaded guilty to federal charges, with sentencings wrapping up this week.
Malik Delancy, Curry’s co-accused, received a four-year and three-month prison term for his role in the conspiracy. Both men pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to import a controlled substance, with all additional charges against them dismissed as part of their negotiated plea agreements. The third defendant, Teshawn Curry, who was convicted of acting as a law enforcement lookout during the smuggling run, was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison. During questioning by investigators, Teshawn Curry admitted he had filled the same lookout role for four separate successful smuggling ventures in the six months preceding his arrest, adding that he never received the payment he was promised for his participation.
When the vessels were intercepted, Ivan Curry, Delancy, Fiero Cooper, Jeremiah Russell and Darren Sears were all taken into custody aboard separate boats. All five have since entered guilty pleas, with Cooper, Russell, and Sears awaiting their final sentencings scheduled for Tuesday. According to court filings, the entire smuggling ring was monitored for months by U.S. authorities, who tracked the three vessels across several days of an intelligence operation before moving in to make arrests.
Ivan Curry, who captained the third smuggling boat, openly admitted to investigators that he knew he was transporting both cocaine and undocumented migrants, explaining that drugs were typically concealed in coolers for the journey. Delancy and Cooper made similar admissions of full knowledge of the cargo, while Russell and Sears acknowledged only that they were aware they were transporting migrants.
A search of Russell’s cell phone uncovered a incriminating text exchange with a female dispatch coordinator based in Broward County, Florida. In the messages, Russell wrote that he was making a run to The Bahamas, expected to return by 8 p.m., and claimed the job would resolve all his financial troubles. He referenced the trip in coded language, writing, “we’re about to take them boys to the South Pole,” adding that the operation required large amounts of fuel, and he would be able to settle outstanding debts once the trip was completed.
Similarly, a search of Sears’ phone revealed messages referencing “bricks,” a common slang term for cocaine, stored in a backpack. The messages also showed Sears expressed distrust of Ivan Curry and voiced concern that he would not receive payment for his role in the operation.
Prior to Ivan Curry’s sentencing, he faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment. However, federal prosecutors agreed to recommend a three-level sentence reduction after Curry accepted the plea deal and avoided a lengthy trial, saving court time and resources.
In an unusual move, prominent Abaco community leader Bishop Silbert Mills, a journalist, former chief councillor, lay magistrate and doctorate holder, submitted a letter to the court asking for leniency for Curry, whom he has known for more than 30 years. Mills shared that he once faced a similar legal situation in his own past 44 years prior, when a U.S. congressman spoke on his behalf and gave him a chance to reform. He highlighted that Curry had participated in post-Hurricane Dorian cleanup efforts in Abaco, was a dedicated family man, local businessman and active community member, and regularly played music for church worship services. Mills wrote that he believed Curry could rehabilitate if given the opportunity, and asked the court for mercy in sentencing.
With four of the five defendants already sentenced, the final sentencings for the remaining two co-defendants are scheduled to take place on Tuesday.