BREAKING NEWS: British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Alturo Fahie arrested for cocaine trafficking

British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Alturo Fahie has been arrested on drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

Andrew Alturo Fahie and the British Virgin Islands port director, Oleanvine Maynard, were arrested by US Drug Enforcement Administration agents on Thursday, April 28, The Miami Herald reports.

According to a 15-page DEA affidavit Fahie confirmed his identity when taken into custody.

He asked: “Why am I getting arrested? I don’t have any money or drugs.”

The arrested men reportedly went to a Miami airport to check on a huge cash payment that was promised them by an undercover US operative pretending to be a Mexican cartel member.

The U.S. informant, who claimed to be working for the Sinaloa cartel, promised to pay the premier and port director $700,000 at first and millions later.

This was, reportedly, their cut of planned cocaine shipments as noted in recorded meetings in the British Virgin Islands and Miami in March and April, according to the documents filed in Miami federal court.

Fahie, and Maynard, were arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents when the foreign officials went to Miami-Opa-locka Executive Airport to check out the $700,000 cash payment on an airplane that they believed was destined for the British Virgin Islands, according to the affidavit.

Both Fahie and Maynard, who are being held at the Federal Detention Center, are due to have their first appearances in Miami federal court on Friday afternoon.

The son of BVI’s port director, Kadeem Maynard, was also arrested in connection with the undercover DEA case.

All three defendants are charged with conspiring to import more than five kilos of cocaine into the United States and conspiring to commit money laundering.

John Rankin, governor of the British Virgin Islands, said the US authorities had informed the British government of Fahie’s arrest and that Natalio Wheatley had been appointed as acting premier. “I realise this will be shocking news for people in the territory, and I would call for calm at this time,” Rankin said.

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