U.S. law enforcement officials have put Drug Enforcement Administration Air Wing pilots on alert and planes on standby as they wait out the ongoing discussions between alleged Jamaican drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke and the U.S. government — and wait to see whether Coke will be brought out of hiding in handcuffs or in a body bag.

Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke is shown here around the time of his deportation from the U.S. 20 years ago. Coke was convicted of possession of stolen property in North Carolina in 1988.

(ABC News)

More PhotosUS Marshals, DEA agents and federal prosecutors are working hand in hand with senior Jamaican military and police officials in an effort to effect a surrender and extradition of Coke, who is wanted on federal drug and firearms charges, to the United States.
At least 60 Jamaicans, including both civilians and security officers, have died since Jamaican authorities began moving in on Coke’s barricaded West Kingston neighborhood in an attempt to capture him Monday. The U.S. has wanted to extradite Coke since 2009, but the Jamaican government had resisted until this month.
The violence shows no signs of abating and has spread to adjoining neighborhoods. The police and military effort to curb it now has by some estimates “thousands” of troops on the streets. Jamaican authorities allege that Coke brought in gunmen from other parts of Jamaica and other Caribbean islands to help prevent his capture.
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PHOTOS: Secret Tunnels from Mexico to the U.S. for Smuggling Drugs, Guns, and PeoplePHOTOS: How Marijuana Is Sent Through the U.S. MailMore from Brian Ross and the Investigative TeamThe 2009 U.S. indictment of Coke charges that he shipped firearms back to Jamaica from the U.S. The island nation has one of the highest murder rates in the Western Hemisphere. Nearly 1700 people were slain in 2009, out of a population of about three million, and as 2010 approaches the halfway mark about 1300 have already been killed.
On Tuesday, U.S. authorities said they believed Coke had escaped through a ring of hundreds of cops and soldiers who had surrounded the West Kingston neighborhood of Tivoli Gardens. Jamaican and U.S. authorities report that Coke may have slipped through police lines and escaped into one of two adjoining areas, either Denham Town or Jones Town.
Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding had resisted U.S. efforts to extradite Coke, citing doubts about the use of wiretaps to gather evidence against Coke. Golding dropped his resistance to Coke’s extradition during the week of May 10, 2010, under intense pressure from Jamaica’s main political parties, the ruling Jamaica Labour Parties (JLP) and the opposition People’s National Party, or PNP. On May 17th Golding announced that he would direct his Attorney General to sign an order that would allow Coke’s arrest.

Following that announcement, the West Kingston communities allied to Coke began non-violent protests. But even then it was apparent to authorities that Coke’s supporters were gearing up for an armed confrontation. They fortified their neighborhood with sandbags, threw up road blocks, installed improvised explosive devices and electrified fencing, all in an effort to block Coke’s arrest.
Coke’s forces are heavily armed with an arsenal that includes automatic rifles and hand grenades. Authorities are attempting to confirm reports that the drug gang also has rocket launchers.

According to the indictment issued in New York in 2009, Coke is alleged to head an international criminal posse known as “The Shower Posse” that operates in Jamaica and the United States. He has been charged by U.S. authorities with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine and conspiracy to traffic in firearms.
Coke is alleged to have sold crack cocaine and marijuana in the New York area since the 1990s and to equip his gang members with illegally procured weapons.
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U.S. Report: Jamaican Prime Minister Is ‘Known Criminal Affiliate’ Of Hunted Drug LordSmoke, Explosions As Cops and Troops Move In On Accused Drug LordPHOTOS: Mexican Drug Gangs’ Weapons of ChoiceCoke, aka “Presi,” “President,” “Dudus,” and “Shortman,” according to the indictment, is alleged to have sold more than 1000 pounds of pot and at least five kilos of cocaine during the period of the indictment, 1994 through 2007.

Coke’s posse allegedly operated out of the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood in West Kingston, which the indictment described as a garrison community, “a barricaded neighborhood guarded by a group of armed gunmen.” The indictment also alleged, however, that the Shower Posse had a presence in “other areas of Jamaica, and in other countries, including the United States.” At Coke’s direction, Shower Posse members allegedly sent firearms back to Jamaica, which has one of the highest murder rates in the Western Hemisphere.
Coke’s “power and influence” the indictment charged, enabled him to protect his posse as it shipped dope to New York and weapons to Jamaica. Coke’s alleged ties to Jamaica’s prime minister and ruling party have been a major factor influencing the US inability to extradite him in the past.
Prime Minister Golding was criticized by the political opposition in March for allegedly hiring a lobbying firm in the U.S. to fight the extradition of Coke. Lobbying documents show that the Jamaican government did hire a firm to lobby the U.S. over the treaty dispute. Golding later admitted that he approved the hiring of the firm, but said the effort was on behalf of his political party and not the government.
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Jamaica violence investigation must be thorough

Security forces have been given broad new powers during Jamaica’s state of emergency

© APGraphicsBank

27 May 2010

Amnesty International has called for a thorough investigation into the deaths of dozens of people in the Jamaican capital Kingston during a security operation to arrest an alleged drug dealer.

The violence started in the capital city of Kingston on Sunday 23 May, as armed supporters of alleged drug dealer Christopher “Dudus” Coke protested against his potential extradition to the US.

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding declared a state of emergency on Sunday, giving the security forces broad new powers to restrict freedom of movement, search premises and detain persons suspected of involvement in unlawful activities without a warrant.

“While the Jamaican police have a duty to maintain law and order, the attribution of extraordinary powers to the security forces may lead to human rights violations,” said Kerrie Howard, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s America’s programme

According to reports, estimates of the death toll vary from 44 to 60. At least three members of the security forces have also been killed.

Security forces have so far accounted for four firearms seized, quite a low number compared with the number of people killed.

“The human rights record of the police force in Jamaica is dire. Every year the police are responsible for a high number of killings. Evidence indicates that many of these killings are unlawful,” said Kerrie Howard.

“In this context, residents of the affected areas, including those not involved in the armed confrontation, may become victims of abuses by the security forces. Only an impartial and thorough investigation of every death or injury caused by the use of force will enable the facts to be established regarding possible unlawful killings or extra-judiciary executions.

Police in Jamaica killed 253 people in 2009, a figure consistent with previous years.

In most cases, the police justify these killings as the result of shoot-outs with gunmen, especially in the context of gang violence in marginalized inner-city communities.

The high number of killings, the virtual absence of injuries or fatalities of police officers, combined with eyewitness testimonies and other evidence, indicate that many of the killings involved excessive or arbitrary use of force by the police and that, in many cases they amounted to unlawful killings, including extrajudicial executions.

“Collection of evidence and access to independent ballistic and forensic expertise will be crucial in order to ensure that those responsible of human rights violations are identified and brought to justice,” said Kerrie Howard

Amnesty International said it is also concerned at reports that more than 500 people have been detained since the state of emergency was introduced.

“Even during officially declared states of emergency, Jamaica is required under international law to guarantee the rights of everyone detained, including having their detention reviewed by an independent tribunal,” said Kerrie Howard.

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YEAH MI KNOW UNNO WAA SUSS.. AND MI WILL RUN A SUSS TOPIC FI WHO WANT  IT BUT DI PPL DEM WHEY REALLY WAA PUT DEM HEAD TO DI WHEEL UNNO COME YAH…. DID ANYBODY HEAR SEH U.S SOLIDER DEPLOY A TIVOLI?? IS WHA REALLY A GWAAN??

PEOPLE UNNO CHECK DIS plus DIS …DUDUS FI GO DO DI TIME ENO BUT MI WAA KNOW IS WHA REALLY N CHOOLY A GWAAN… N MI HEAR SEH ALL DI US DID HAVE DEM MAN A LIVE A TIVOLI FI FEW YRS WELL… BWAAY IT STICKY PAN WE  DI SITUATION NAH ADD UP AND ALL DESE PPL A DEAD FI NOTHING

update!! dem seh Dudus was captured in the sed kirkland heights area this morning…~ still unconfirmed~… BWAAY OUR GUVAMENT ADY BES!

AND DEM JUS BUS INA A FORMER MINISTER OF COMMERCE HOUSE A KIRKLAND HEIGHTS AND KILL DI BREDDA…. NOW MI NEVA KNOW SEH A LOOK DEM A LOOK DUDUS FI KILL HIM…. BRUCE HOW U CLEAN UP A GUH?… ANTS INA U MILK BRUCE???… DI PEP A COME OUTA U STEP A WHA??…
P.S…. DI PPL DEM SEH DERE IS AN INDICTMENT OUT FOR A MEMBER OF THE CABINET…PPL A NUH JLP WAR DIS ALONE..PNP INA IT TUH