Attorneys slam gov’t over detention of Jamaicans by US Coast Guard

Paul Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Attorneys representing four Jamaican men detained by the United States Coast Guard on allegation of drug possession and who had their vessel destroyed are slamming the Government.

Lead attorney Bert Samuels, speaking at a virtual press conference today, raised concerns about the circumstances which led to the detention of boat captain Anthony Clarke, Radcliffe Simmons, Howard Patterson, and Warren Rowe.

On October 11, the Jamaican-registered vessel Lady Lawla was intercepted some 100 miles south of Jamaica by the US Coast Guard.

At the time of the interception, Lady Lawla was in international waters, with the closest landmass being Jamaica.

According to Samuels, the US Coast Guard sought and was granted permission by the Jamaican authorities to board and search the 20-foot vessel.

The US Coast Guard had alleged that 15 containers were found on the vessel and were tested with a narcotics identification kit and all the containers returned positive results for cocaine.

They alleged that it turned out to be 150 gallons of liquid cocaine.

The items and the vessel were seized and the men detained, and later taken to a US immigration holding facility.

Their attorneys contend that the men did nothing wrong.

The lawyers claim that the Jamaican crew had made all necessary immigration and customs declarations at Port Royal on October 5, 2020, declaring its destination as being Punto Fijo, Venezuela, with a mission to purchase fish.

Another of the men’s attorneys, Bianca Samuels, noted that the boat was licensed as a carrier vessel only, not for fishing activity.

She further stated that the vessel had diesel onboard which, she said, was declared to Customs before it left for the open Caribbean waters.

The attorneys told the media that subsequent to their detention, the men were taken before the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida last Wednesday, where a judge found that there was no evidence of cocaine being seized as the substance in question was in fact gasolene.

According to the lawyers, the judge then ordered that the detention be lifted and the men sent home.

They remain in the US.

“No charges were laid against any of the four men,” declared Ms Samuels.

“Were our nationals in the circumstances kidnapped under the veil of the Shiprider Agreement? Do we make a formal complaint against the US for breach of the terms of the said agreement?” asked Mr Samuels, as he questioned whether the Jamaican Government should have the agreement in place or should it be suspended, pending an explanation from Washington.

Broadly, the Shiprider Agreement allows US vessels to patrol or chase suspected drug smugglers into the waters of treaty states, including Jamaica, and for these persons to be tried in US courts.

Samuels also questioned the veracity of the testing equipment that was used in the search, asking that it be made available for examination.

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