Bahamian police chief resigns after US indicts officers in a massive drug trafficking case
Associated PressSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Bahamas’ police commissioner has resigned after a sergeant and two officers were recently indicted in the U.S. in what federal authorities describe as a case of massive drug trafficking. The Bahamas’ prime minister, Philip Brave Davis, announced on Wednesday that Clayton Fernander was stepping down, noting that he faces no charges in the case but that the police department needs a change. The U.S. Justice Department called the case a “massive cocaine importation conspiracy enabled by corrupt Bahamian government officials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.” The department noted that since May 2021, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through the Bahamas bound for the U.S. with the help of corrupt local officials who controlled airports and disclosed information about U.S. Coast Guard movements. On Monday, Fernander said he was interviewing officials to determine when the alleged drug trafficking began and said he supported a government proposal for independent civilian oversight of the police department.
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