A major drug seizure at Antigua and Barbuda’s primary international gateway has led authorities to a 54-year-old US pastor with local roots, who is now cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation unfolds.
The incident unfolded on Saturday, June 13, when Dean Robert Gould landed at V.C. Bird International Airport aboard American Airlines flight AA2579. As Gould cleared airport processing, members of the Antigua and Barbuda Police Service’s canine narcotics unit flagged two unmarked duffel bags registered under Gould’s name for secondary screening. The K9 unit’s alert led officers to discover the suspected cannabis hidden within the luggage, which clocked in at a total weight of 59.5 pounds – just shy of the 60-pound mark.
Law enforcement officials have estimated the seized narcotics have a street value of 357,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars, a significant haul for local anti-drug operations. Gould, who was born in Antigua and Barbuda but holds United States citizenship, was immediately taken into police custody to undergo formal questioning. As of the latest update from authorities, the pastor is set to be formally arraigned on criminal charges on the following Monday, with law enforcement continuing to piece together details of the suspected smuggling operation.
Local police have not yet released additional information about whether the pastor was acting alone or as part of a larger drug trafficking network, confirming only that investigations are ongoing.