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Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Ten of the 14 illegal aliens at the heart of one of Florida's biggest human trafficking cases are Jamaican.
Bahamian ship's captain Rickey Thompson is currently on trial in West Palm Beach following the drowning of Jamaican Nigel Warren.
<span style="font-weight: bold">However, Warren, 64, was only one of a large group of Jamaicans who allegedly paid Thompson up to US$3,000 to smuggle them into the United States from Freeport in the Bahamas.</span>
He drowned trying to make it to shore after he was reportedly forced off the boat.
Federal prosecutors said the final drug and immigrant smuggling gig of the sea captain known as "Tricks" came to an end in December 28th last year, when he forced passengers to jump from his idling speedboat.
The twin-engine boat later ran aground.
Not far from the boat, police later found the Warren's body with an orange life vest twisted around his neck and a black duffel bag containing 83 pounds of marijuana.
<span style="font-weight: bold">It is alleged that Warren, known as "Pops," had begged to stay aboard because he could not swim, but the captain would not listen.</span>
Prosecutors also said at least two other people, both Haitian, also drowned on one of Thompson's smuggling runs the previous August to the same remote spot.
Along with the murder of three people and the smuggling of 14 illegal aliens, Thompson is accused of importing cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
<span style="font-weight: bold">But Jamaican born attorney for the defense, Professor David Rowe, said he intends to prove that his Bahamian client is harmless and blameless.</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">He said this smuggling theory is a figment of the US government's imagination or their misunderstanding of the cultural practices of Bahamians. </span>
If convicted, Thompson faces life imprisonment and more than $37 million in fines.