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AdamG
05-24-2010, 01:55 PM
Kingston, Jamaica (CNN) -- Jamaican authorities declared a state of emergency in Kingston after gang members supportive of an alleged drug lord wanted by the United States attacked police stations and blockaded a large swath of the city.

Two police stations were evacuated after being hit with Molotov cocktails, while the status of a third was unclear.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/23/jamaica/index.html

See also
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showpost.php?p=37925&postcount=6

bourbon
05-24-2010, 03:48 PM
Coke was charged in August by the attorney's office in New York, which accused him of leading an international criminal syndicate known as the "Shower Posse."
I remember a similar case (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImRsNaVq2NU) from the early 1990’s.

AdamG
05-24-2010, 06:46 PM
I remember a similar case (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImRsNaVq2NU) from the early 1990’s.

I think it's obvious, there's only one man we can count on to hold the line (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4SNtFQZF0A) down there.

Meanwhile, back on the funny pages...


KINGSTON, Jamaica – Police in Jamaica's jittery capital urged a gang leader wanted in the U.S. on drug and arms-trafficking charges to surrender Sunday, even as tension grew behind barricades erected by his supporters to protect him.

In a gritty section of the capital of an island known more for reggae and all-inclusive resorts, defiant followers of Christopher "Dudus" Coke, a Jamaican "don" who is widely suspected of controlling gunmen in West Kingston's Tivoli Gardens, have transformed the slum into a virtual fortress cut off by trashed cars and barbed wire.

The standoff has intensified for nearly a week, since Prime Minister Bruce Golding reversed his long-standing refusal to extradite Coke to the U.S. People in the community quickly started preparing for war.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100523/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_jamaica_slum_standoff_1

davidbfpo
05-24-2010, 08:15 PM
From the BBC:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/latin_america/10148973.stm

One wonders if the suspect will remain at liberty for long.

AdamG
05-25-2010, 05:58 PM
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Thousands of heavily armed police and soldiers continued an assault into the capital's most violent slums on Tuesday, hunting for weapons and battling die-hard defenders of a powerful Jamaican gang leader sought by the U.S. Officials said at least 30 people have died.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9FU08O80&show_article=1:)

AdamG
05-25-2010, 08:26 PM
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9FU08O80&show_article=1:)

Gotta love RUMINT.


While Mr. Coke remains at large, wild rumors have spread through the capital. One has him directing a counterattack from his stronghold; another that he has fled to a hideout in Jamaica's mountains.

Reports have circulated on Jamaican radio of battalions of "gun men" earning as much as $100,000 a day to resist police and build barricades, but couldn't be confirmed. Jamaica's daily newspapers report that demonstrators protesting Mr. Coke arrest have interfered with police actions, a tactic similar to events in Mexico's drug war in recent months.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704026204575266532664699278.html

AdamG
05-26-2010, 12:39 PM
Interesting commentary about the group-think of the local citizenry.


One of the dimensions of garrison life that intrigues me is garrison spirituality. It seems many people who live in garrisons like West Kingston, and especially Tivoli Gardens, embrace a conflation of Christianity and its Christology or messiah theology and their understanding of the strongman or don who is seen as a local messiah. It is obvious that the perception held of their leader by many residents of garrisons is built on their understanding of Jesus' life and mission. They embrace Jesus' role in delivering humanity from spiritual bankruptcy, but they move beyond that to fill a perceived void in the non-spiritual world for a socio-political messiah to deliver them from socio-political bondage. What bothers me is that their messiah theology is articulated in the reverse. It is reversed garrison Christology in that rather than the garrison "messiah" dying for his people, they are willing and ready to die for him.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/The-garrison-phenomenon_7644210

AdamG
05-28-2010, 04:44 PM
(Reuters) - At least 73 people died this week as Jamaican security forces stormed a Kingston slum and battled armed supporters of an alleged drug lord wanted for extradition to the United States, police said on Thursday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64Q6BP20100527

It's getting complicated and fraught with coincidences.


BUSINESSMAN Keith Clarke was yesterday shot dead as members of the security forces stormed his Kirkland Heights, Red Hills, community in Upper St Andrew in search of alleged drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. Clarke, 63, is the brother of former People's National Party Government minister Claude Clarke.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Search-for--Dudus--ends-in-businessman-s-death_7655366

and
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100528/lead/lead1.html


Some Trench Town residents have insisted that there were more women and children killed in the military assault on Tivoli Gardens than the authorities are letting on.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100528/lead/lead6.html

davidbfpo
05-29-2010, 10:51 PM
A well written first article:http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/05/26/jamaicas_coke_rebellion?page=0,1 and a general article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/jamaica/7783122/Dudus-criminals-in-Kingston-turned-slum-into-fortress-festooned-with-booby-traps.html

The later I noted refers to the sought drug lord's father:
Coke's father Lloyd, the previous 'don' of Tivoli, was killed in a mysterious fire while awaiting extradition to the US in a Jamaican prison in 1991.

What I am puzzled by and in principle critical of the USA seeking the extradition of such a "drug lord". Not that this has not happened before in this hemisphere. Why cannot the USA, presumably with the DEA as the 'lead' agency, present its evidence to a Jamaican court and try hard to secure a conviction? Note, Jamaica does have jury trials and the court could sit beyond Jamaica (akin to the Lockerbie trial in a Scottish court in Holland). Even with the "drug lord" tried in his absence, but not a defence lawyer.

Leaving aside the current human cost, did the USA consider what would be the impact on Jamaica, a less-developed country with a few problems? Just a few thoughts on how Jamaica could be "messed up" further:

1) Threats to the tourist areas @ Montego Bay and Ochos Rios, including cruise liners and consequent economic impact

2) A response by the "drug lords" to change their political allegiances from the traditional parties to a new party

3) An info war campaign by the sought "drug lord" to undermine the credibility of the state, along the lines of 'Catch me if you can".

A third background article:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/jamaica/7783565/Kingston-residents-fear-police-more-than-drug-dealer-Michael-Dudus-Coke.html

AdamG
06-23-2010, 12:49 PM
KINGSTON - Alleged drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke was arrested by police on the outskirts of Kingston on Tuesday, peacefully ending a manhunt for the fugitive at the center of last month's deadly raids in the Jamaican capital.

Coke, 42, is wanted for extradition to the United States on drug and gun trafficking charges. Police said they arrested him without violence at a road checkpoint in the Portmore area of St. Catherine Parish.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37860473/ns/world_news-americas

davidbfpo
06-23-2010, 08:49 PM
A BBC report, that IMHO poses many questions and has few answers: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/latin_america/10386028.stm

I note the police arrest was as Coke was en route to surrender to the US Embassy, allegedly pre-arranged. Now, will he survive to appear in an extradition hearing in Jamaica?

AdamG
06-24-2010, 05:49 PM
Now, will he survive to appear in an extradition hearing in Jamaica?

Depends on what he knows that could bring down other folks, doesn't it?
Place your bets now.

“Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself.”

davidbfpo
06-25-2010, 07:37 AM
BBC News just had a news clip showing him in US custody and I think a voice said en route to New York. Not that anything odd ever happens in a Federal prison.

AdamG
06-26-2010, 10:37 PM
This tale is turning into a Guy Ritchie screenplay.


Wearing an Afro wig, baseball cap, woman’s clothes and spectacles, this was the appearance of the kingpin at the centre of violence in Jamaica when he was finally arrested.

Photo and more guffaws at : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1289181/Jamaican-drug-lord-Christopher-Dudus-Coke-arrested-wig-spectacles.html#ixzz0s09TVM45

Jedburgh
11-03-2010, 05:11 PM
SAS, 2 Nov 10: Confronting the Don: The Political Economy of Gang Violence in Jamaica (http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/B-Occasional-papers/SAS-OP26-Jamaica-gangs.pdf)

....This report presents an overview of the history, prevalence, and distribution of gangs, focusing in particular on their involvement in international drug and arms trafficking and the possible influence of deportees from the United States. It finds that there is a dense social web connecting highly organized, transnational gangs to the loosely organized gangs whose activities are often indistinguishable from broader community and interpersonal violence. It finds that contemporary gangs in Jamaica have their roots in the organized political violence of the 1940s. Though the political facilitation of crime has declined since the country’s bloodiest national elections in 1980, it remains an enduring—though less overt—force. The persistent facilitation of gang activity by politicians continues to hinder targeted violence reduction efforts, despite the government’s vociferous public condemnation of crime and violence and official support of both punitive and social approaches to violence reduction....

AdamG
08-16-2011, 09:10 PM
JAMAICA'S food security is under threat and measures must be instituted now to prevent a disaster, two technical experts have said.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Food-security-threat_9457088#ixzz1VEDdF3Mn


Jamaica is looking at Costa Rica is a model to fight crime as the Jamaica Constabulary Force is pushing to bring the country's murder rate in line with that of Costa Rica in seven years and believes the proposed anti-gang legislation will serve as a critical tool.
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2011/august/05/costarica11080504.htm

davidbfpo
06-09-2012, 04:54 PM
I did spot an update on the extradited "drug lord" being sentenced in NYC to twenty years and nearly missed this article based on interviewing the British police officer sent to help Jamaica's police. He has now retired and living there, a not uncommon result of imbibing the Jamaican brew.

Link:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/07/british-officer-changed-jamaican-policing

davidbfpo
08-31-2012, 06:24 PM
After a FOI request some documents have been released, with large sections redacted; so the summary may suffice:
The documents suggest that U.S. special forces were deployed to Jamaica during the operation to arrest Coke, where they were “developing situational awareness and monitoring developments on the ground,” and regularly reporting back to Southern Command. The unredacted portions of the documents do not make reference to participation by U.S. special forces in the May 24, 2010 assault on Tivoli Gardens. So on my reading, these documents contain the first hard evidence that U.S. forces were deployed in Jamaica at the time of the assault, though it is not clear exactly what they were doing.

Several portions of the documents confirm the U.S.-directed P-3 surveillance flights. The documents note that the flights were observed by “open sources.” This likely refers to an image taken by a photographer for the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper.

Link:http://www.mattathiasschwartz.com/document-jamaicadudus-foia-documents-from-u-s-southern-command/

AdamG
09-06-2012, 09:22 PM
The Canadian SF have a presence on that island as well.


The Canadian Forces have sealed a deal with Jamaica to set up an operations hub in the country’s capital, Kingston, for future operations in the Caribbean.

The hub – essentially access to facilities at a port, airport and military base – will serve as a staging ground if the Canadian Forces need to mount an operation in the region, either because of threat, for drug-interdiction campaigns, or to provide relief after natural disaster like the earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-forces-to-set-up-shop-in-jamaican-capital/article4372986/?service=mobile

Article on training, 2009
http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2009/07/beyond-top-secret-undercover-with-canadian-special-operations-forces-in-jamaica/

AdamG
11-30-2013, 04:09 AM
Why does this sound suspiciously like a progressive reloading press and a couple of boxes of projectiles ordered from the Dillon catalog?


KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Police in Jamaica say authorities have seized 3,300 missile warheads and a machine to make missiles and bullets.

Read more: http://www.myfoxny.com/story/24096730/jamaican-authorities-seize-3300-warheads#ixzz2m5xu0I7Y

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Discovery-of-bullet-making-machine-a-major-success----Commissioner-of-Customs

AdamG
12-10-2013, 07:40 AM
Why does this sound suspiciously like a progressive reloading press and a couple of boxes of projectiles ordered from the Dillon catalog?

*Guffaw*
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/Correction-Jamaica-Warheads-Seized-story-5021508.php

davidbfpo
01-15-2014, 10:30 PM
A CTC commentary:http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/jamaican-organized-crime-after-the-fall-of-dudus-coke

AdamG
01-21-2018, 02:40 AM
Tourists in the Jamaican city of Montego Bay have been urged to stay in their resorts while the military carries out a crackdown on violent crime.
St James Parish, of which Montego Bay is the capital, has been hit by a surge in gang-related killing and violence, according to authorities, and a state of emergency was declared on Thursday.
The UK Foreign Office (FCO) has warned holidaymakers that “intensive law enforcement activities” were expected in the area and holidaymakers should limit their movements outside their resorts, especially at night. Other countries have issued similar advice, including Canada.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/20/britons-in-jamaicas-montego-bay-urged-to-stay-in-resorts

davidbfpo
01-21-2018, 10:26 AM
Most tourists who stay in the city of Montego Bay use all-inclusive resort hotels and very few venture outside themselves, even then most frequent the shopping malls and 'The Strip'. The violence - from the reports I have seen - is concentrated in areas no tourist would visit. Unless they seek recreational substances.

Now I have looked at news reporting there was a "drive by" shooting near the airport, with one dead and three wounded. That I expect was the reason why the advisory was issued. One local report has some details:http://jamaica-star.com/article/news/20180117/two-shootings-two-hours-near-mobay-airport

Bill Moore
01-21-2018, 07:11 PM
David,

I found some contrary info, but some of these sites don't have dates.

https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/caribbean/jamaica/crime-in-jamaica-what-to-watch-for


Deadly Crime and Assault in Jamaica

Jamaica has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world. These dangerous and deadly crimes are not isolated to locals - several tourists have lost their lives there in recent years so you should be especially careful to avoid risky areas and use common sense when visiting.

Sexual assault against female travelers is also an issue, so women should avoid traveling alone and not drink to excess. Some of these reported assaults occurred within the confines of a resort, so women should be cautious at all times, regardless of where they are.

Keep the following in context, as several thousand U.S. tourists visit Jamaica annually. I suspect the number of murders and violent crime against Americans is higher in other tourist locations like Thailand for example.

https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21545


Although most criminal activity is Jamaican-on-Jamaican violence, often involving organized criminal elements and gangs, criminal activity can impact American visitors.
◾In 2016, the Embassy’s consular section received reports from Jamaican police or the victims themselves of eight U.S. citizens murdered; 39 U.S. citizens robbed; 18 U.S. citizens raped/sexually assaulted; nine U.S. victims of aggravated assaults; seven incidents of domestic violence involving Americans; two instances of child abuse involving American children; and 106 missing persons cases reported. These numbers are not all inclusive, as many crimes (rape, sexual assaults) are often not brought to the attention of the Embassy or to the police.

Since tourism remains the largest part of Jamaica's economy, I suspect the authorities will either crack down on the criminals that threaten it, or work a deal behind the scenes with the gangs so they can operate in these areas as long as they don't threaten tourists. So many areas people from the U.S. and Europe consider the islands in the Caribbean paradise, but in reality they are hell holes for most of the people living there. We have a habit of viewing that part of the world through a 50mm lens that only focuses on white sandy beaches and blue water.

AdamG
01-22-2018, 03:15 AM
MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has reported that the state of public emergency that was imposed on the western parish of St James last Thursday is achieving the desired results.
“After the first 48 hours of the announcement of the state of emergency we have already seen encouraging results,” JDF Colonel Daniel Pryce told a press briefing at the JDF's Burke Barracks in Montego Bay yesterday.

“On Thursday we seized one Kalashnikov rifle and six live rounds in Flanker, Montego Bay. We suspect that the high- powered weapon was used in one of the recent brazen murders that would have taken place in Montego Bay over the past few weeks. That weapon is to undergo ballistic and forensic testing to determine its history.”

Meh.


For a number of years the parish of St James has seen rising levels of criminality as murders, shootings, extortion, illegal drugs, illegal guns, lotto scamming, and general lawlessness have climbed to record levels.

In 2017, for instance, some 335 murders were recorded in the parish, and seven since the start of this year.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/state-of-emergency-right-on-track-says-jdf_123095?profile=1373