By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
FOUR MEN were charged with smuggling $9m worth of cocaine into Long Island in a drug bust last Friday.
The men include three Mexicans and a Bahamian.
Rodrigo Arce, 40, Edgar Ruano, 28, and Jorge Cabrera, 50, all from Mexico, were charged alongside Harry Dolcce, 45.
All four defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply and conspiracy to import dangerous drugs.
Arce and Ruano faced additional charges of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply and importation of dangerous drugs. Cabrera and Dolcce were charged with abetment to the importation of dangerous drugs.
Dolcce was represented by Devard Francis while Alphonso Lewis represented the other three defendants.
According to police reports, at around 1.30am on June 23, a joint operation between OPBAT, the DEU, the DEA, the US Coast Guard and local police seized a single-engine Cessna aircraft on Deadman’s Cay, Long Island. A search of the plane uncovered 15 crocus sacks containing 1,122lbs of cocaine. All four accused pleaded not guilty.
Dolcce was granted $50,000 bail on condition that he is fitted with an electronic monitoring device.
The three remaining defendants were denied bail because they have no status in the country. They were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
The trial is set for September 4 to 8.
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