Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Massive drug bust is a wake-up call

Massive drug bust is a wake-up call

The recent discovery of the largest cocaine stash in the territory’s history is an appalling wake-up call for the Virgin Islands.
Clearly, something is very wrong.

The drugs — which weighed about 2.3 tonnes and were valued at $250 million — were not far off the three tonnes seized at sea during the United Kingdom’s largest-ever cocaine bust in 2015.

Such a discovery would be shocking anywhere in the world. But in a small, tight-knit community like the Virgin Islands, it suggests that a major criminal enterprise has been operating under the noses of the territory’s approximately 30,000 residents.

The arrest of a police officer in connection with the find is especially troubling. Though of course he is innocent until proven guilty — and we firmly believe that the great majority of law enforcers and other public officers are honest — we cannot imagine how so much cocaine could have come into the territory without some level of official corruption and organised crime.

Clearly, a major crackdown is needed, and we applaud Governor Gus Jaspert and Police Commissioner Michael Matthews for pledging to bring in outside law enforcers to help investigate the recent find and to carry out an internal probe in the police force.

The response should be swift, forceful and transparent, and it should aim to root out the drug trade and arrest anyone involved, from the foot soldiers to the bosses. It should also work to identify any systemic failings in the territory’s law enforcement apparatus that could have allowed such a major drug operation to function here in the first place.

The wider community, meanwhile, should assist by reporting suspicious behaviour to police and otherwise sending a clear message that crime will not be tolerated here.

We also second Mr. Jaspert’s call for the government to expedite legislation and other measures designed to discourage corruption. Such steps should include an integrity commission, a modernised Police Act, legislation facilitating unexplained-wealth orders, transparency laws, and a whistleblower act, among others.

Given the likelihood that corruption could be behind the recent drug find, we were disturbed that Premier Andrew Fahie used his recent budget address to criticise the governor for rightly mentioning the possibility at a press conference. Mr. Fahie — who was quick to cry “corruption” before his government was in power — implied that the governor has been trying to besmirch the territory’s reputation as part of a larger UK scheme to deny the VI its right to self-determination.

This suggestion is patently ridiculous, and the governor did nothing of the kind. Like the premier, he condemned the drug trade but expressed strong support for local law enforcers, noting his continued confidence in the police force as a whole.

Mr. Fahie’s response also comes on the heels of his peculiar complaints about the UK’s recent efforts to help secure the borders. When Mr. Jaspert requested a Royal Navy ship from the UK in September, Mr. Fahie angrily accused him of exaggerating the border threat. The recent bust, however, is clear evidence suggesting a potentially catastrophic security failure.

The premier, then, should leave off his governor-bashing campaign and concentrate instead on working closely with all available partners to try to snuff out the drug trade in the territory. He should also lead the House of Assembly in expediting the passage of anti-corruption measures, many of which he promised during last year’s election campaign.

Drug smuggling is not a victimless crime, even if the drugs are just passing through these shores on the way to another country. Far from it.

The trade tends to lure impressionable young people with promises of easy money. Often, they probably don’t fully understand the risks, and find themselves subject to a violent system of street justice that might punish even a simple mistake with death.

The trade also tends to foster other criminality, including gun violence and gang activity.

At a time when the territory has seen three murders in less than three months, in addition to other shootings that put bystanders at risk, the community should come together and send a strong message that the VI is no place for drug smuggling, violence, corruption or any other crime.

Enough is enough.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×