Press Release
TWO DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH IMPORTATION OF COCAINE INTO THE U.S. FROM THE BAHAMAS
May 29, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations, Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Randy Donnelson, Director of Air Operations for Miami Air and Marine Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Frank J. Kitzerow, Chief, Jupiter Police Department, Daniel C. Alexander, Chief, Boca Raton Police Department, and Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, announce the filing of a complaint charging defendants Mark Pinder and Parson Exana with conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S., in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 963. The defendants made their initial appearances in federal court on May 27, 2009, and were detained pending a pre-trial detention hearing trial.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on May 25, 2009, ICE special agents conducted an undercover operation on the high seas, and received approximately 297 kilograms of cocaine from defendant Pinder in a vessel-to-vessel transfer. The cocaine was thereafter transported to Palm Beach County. On May 26, 2009, law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the 297 kilograms of cocaine to defendants Pinder and Exana in Jupiter, FL. Pinder, a Bahamian citizen, and Exana, a United States citizen, were arrested at that time.
If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum sentence of ten years to life and a fine of $4,000,000.
The seizure and arrests were the result of a combined operation involving, ICE's Office of Investigations in West Palm Beach, FBI - West Palm Beach Division, DEA, Ft. Lauderdale, Customs and Border Protection, Jupiter Police Department, Boca Raton Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. The combined investigation targeted individuals who use maritime vessels to smuggle drugs into South Florida from the Bahamas. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaniek Maynard.
Attachments:
Complaint (PDF)
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Technical comments about this website can be e-mailed to the Webmaster. PLEASE NOTE: The United States Attorney's Office does not respond to non-technical inquiries made to this website. If you wish to make a request for information, you may contact our office at 305-961-9001, or you may send a written inquiry to the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, 99 NE 4th Street, Miami, Fl. 33132.