Former Caribbean premier jailed for 11 years for cocaine smuggling

A former premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) premier who American prosecutors say had unsuccessfully tried to turn the idyllic tourism islands into a cocaine smuggling hub for the Mexican Sinaloa cartel was this week sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Miami court on international conspiracy charges.

Andrew Fahie showed no outward emotion as District Court Judge Kathleen Williams imposed the sentence on him but he spoke briefly with his wife and two daughters before being led away in prison garb by court officials.

His 135-month sentence came two years and three months after he was nabbed in Florida during a sting operation by federal officials.

Fahie and BVI Port Director Oleanvine Maynard had been in Miami for a cruise ship convention but prosecutors say they were also there to check on a $700,000 payment from cartel members that was headed to them for their part in allowing massive cocaine shipments to transit through BVI ports.

Lured by the feds to the Opa Locka Airport to check on the cash, the two were arrested and charged. Maynard’s son, Kadeem was also in on the business. He is serving a five-year sentence, his mom doing nine years.

“He took the British Virgin Islands and sold it to the Sinaloa cartel,” prosecutor Kevin Gerarde said in open court during the close of the case as he pressed for a tougher sentence. “What’s clear is that Mr. Fahie lost his way and got involved in this scheme,” said Judge Williams.

His arrest and subsequent incarceration had made headlines by home as details of the scheme had emerged. He was quickly replaced as premier of the British colony by Natalio D. Wheatley who continues to serve as premier and who won general elections in his own right in April of last year.

Elaborating on the case, Attorney Gerade said that Fahie “took the BVI and sold it to the Sinaloa cartel,” while Judge Williams noted that he had tried to “tip the British Virgin Islands from a renowned tourist destination to a haven for narcotrafficking. It’s a violation of trust. It violates public safety. It is the ultimate betrayal.”

When a government official uses their position to personally profit, the judge added, “It’s a violation of trust; it violates public safety. It is the ultimate betrayal,” she said, accepting that Fahie had helped inmates and others “in becoming doctors, lawyers, receiving MBAs, and essentially finding their way to a better life.”

Fighting back against the charges, his lead attorney Richard Fera said the sting operation had produced no drugs whatsoever. “This cocaine never existed. It was never a question whether it was moved or never moved. It never existed. We’re dealing with a fantasy constructed by a confidential source.”