MIAMI – United States federal authorities have indicted six workers at the Port of Miami with running a drug trafficking operation that involved ports in Jamaica.
According to a federal indictment, the workers were charged yesterday with helping to smuggle “loads of narcotics” through Miami from ports in Jamaica, Costa Rica and Panama.
The workers from Southern Florida were identified as union longshoremen Albert Hines of Pembroke Pines, Michael Canada of Miramar, and Alexander Pratt, Santonio Riou, Jessie Lamons and Morris Henderson of Miami.
They were caught in a two-year operation conducted by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Border Enforcement Security Task Force, the US Coast Guard and Miami-Dade Police Department Narcotics Bureau, the indictment says.
During “Operation Gangplank,” US agents said they discovered the longshoremen were involved in the “international trafficking of millions of dollars worth of cocaine, heroin and marijuana through the Port of Miami”.
The longshoremen are charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
“Those who seek to exploit our seaports, airports or border crossings should be on notice,” said ICE Director John Morton said.
“We’re watching, and we’ll catch you. And when we do, be prepared to spend a long time behind bars,” he added. (CMC)
