More than a year after law enforcement seized nearly a quarter-million dollars worth of cannabis at a major Caribbean port, a Jamaican national has formally admitted guilt to drug trafficking offenses. Damar Sappleton, who has resided in the Bendals area of Antigua, entered his guilty plea on Wednesday before High Court Judge John Spencer, wrapping up the initial phase of a high-profile narcotics case stretching back to early 2024. The legal proceedings originated from a coordinated joint enforcement operation conducted by local police and customs officials on 8 March 2024 at Deep Water Harbour. During a routine inspection of cargo at the busy port, officers uncovered 41 pounds of concealed cannabis stashed inside two unmarked shipping boxes. Investigators later assessed that the seized narcotics would have carried an estimated street value of approximately $246,000 if sold on the local market. Following his plea, Sappleton was immediately remanded into official custody, with his sentencing hearing scheduled to take place at the High Court on 5 June. Legal observers note that the conviction closes a key chapter in a major anti-narcotics enforcement effort at the island’s primary commercial port, which remains a common transit point for drug trafficking operations targeting the Caribbean region.