The two men who were arrested in Jamaica on Tuesday at the request of United States authorities in connection with their alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organisation, have waived their rights to an extradition hearing locally.
The criminal outfit allegedly handled millions of US dollars in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the US, Caribbean and European banking systems.
The two Jamaicans – Dennis Raymond Rowe and St. Devon Anthony Cover – were among 19 individuals indicted on Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts as part of the massive probe.
A third Jamaican, Seivright Donald Afflick, was arrested late Tuesday.
Rowe, who is from Kingston, and Cover, a Manchester resident, have both waived their rights to an extradition hearing when they appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, also on Tuesday.
A statement from the US Justice Department on Tuesday afternoon said US$1 million was also seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity.
Approximately 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of more than US$90 million – has allegedly been traced back to the money laundering organisation.
This includes approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine seized at sea, 60 miles south of Jamaica, in July 2019.
The US Justice Department says, in addition to the arrest of the two Jamaicans, three defendants were taken into custody in Florida on Tuesday morning and will make an initial appearance in federal court at a later date.
It was reported that on April 26 this year, twelve defendants were arrested in Colombia at the request of the US.
One defendant was arrested in Orlando, Florida.
The Justice Department says the United States will seek the extradition of the Jamaicans and Colombians to the District of Massachusetts.
According to the charging documents, in or about October 2016, US law enforcement began an investigation into a sophisticated money laundering organisation located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia.
During an extensive five-year probe, the organisation allegedly laundered more than US$6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the US and additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE).
It is alleged that, by using the BMPE, the defendants conspired to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement and evade currency exchange requirements in the US and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process.
