Bahamas News
Elvis Nathaniel Curtis and Other Corrupt Bahamian Officials Led Efforts to Support and Protect Large-Scale Cocaine Shipments Through The Bahamas en Route to the United States
Press Release
United States Attorney’s Office
Southern District of New York
USA, November 27, 2024 – Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging 13 defendants with cocaine importation and related weapons offenses in connection with their participation in a massive cocaine importation conspiracy enabled by corrupt Bahamian government officials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (“RBPF”). ELVIS NATHANIEL CURTIS, an RBPF Chief Superintendent, and DARRIN ALEXANDER ROKER, a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (“RBDF”), were arrested on Monday in Florida and had their initial appearances yesterday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. LORIELMO STEELE-POMARE, a/k/a “Steele” and WILLIAM SIMEON, a/k/a “Harvey Smith,” a/k/a “William Jacques,” a/k/a “Romeo Russell,” a/k/a “Dario Rolle,” were arrested overseas on Monday. LUIS FERNANDO OROZCO-TORO was arrested overseas yesterday. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas with the support and protection of corrupt Bahamian government officials who control airports throughout the country and provide sensitive information about U.S. Coast Guard movements to drug traffickers. This Indictment is the latest in a series of charges that this Office and
the DEA’s Special Operations Division have brought against corrupt government officials around the globe who partner with dangerous cocaine traffickers. Today’s charges should serve as yet another powerful wake-up call to corrupt officials everywhere—we will not rest until you are held accountable for your role in the drug trade that is poisoning this country and our community. I commend the career prosecutors of this Office and our partners at the DEA for their tireless efforts to disrupt drug-fueled corruption wherever it takes hold.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “The arrests of corrupt officials, including a leader of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and another government official in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, expose the alarming betrayal of public trust that has enabled tons of cocaine to flow through The Bahamas and into the United States. In 2024, there was a 5.4% increase in cocaine seizures in the United States. By abusing their positions to accept bribes, protect traffickers, and facilitate drug shipments via airports and maritime routes, these individuals jeopardized countless lives for personal gain. Let this be a clear message from the DEA: if you are a government official who uses your power to traffic in drugs and corruption, we will bring you to justice in the United States.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]
Since at least May 2021, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas for importation into the U.S. with the help and support of corrupt Bahamian government officials. The Bahamas has in recent years become an increasingly important transshipment point for U.S.-bound cocaine. This is a result, in part, of its proximity to the U.S., as the northernmost Bahamian islands are less than 100 nautical miles from the coast of Florida, making The Bahamas an attractive route for cocaine traffickers.
The increased cocaine flow through The Bahamas and into the U.S. has been a direct result of yearslong, drug-fueled corruption by certain officials in key Bahamian government institutions. Such corruption includes certain high-ranking members of the RBPF and other Bahamian government officials who work with drug traffickers to receive, protect, and provide safe passage for massive cocaine shipments through the airports and ports of The Bahamas. These corrupt officials support the drug trade into the U.S. at multiple levels. First, cocaine-laden aircraft, including on U.S.-registered planes, are received at remote airstrips and larger airports in The Bahamas under the supervision of corrupt RBPF officials who work with, and accept bribes from, drug traffickers. Then, once the cocaine arrives in The Bahamas, those corrupt officials also help drug traffickers transport their cocaine from the northernmost points of The Bahamas to the U.S. using go-fast vessels, yachts, and fishing boats.
The DEA has historically coordinated drug enforcement operations with the RBPF through a counternarcotics program called Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, or “OPBAT.” Although OPBAT has had its share of successes in combatting the drug trade in the Caribbean, certain corrupt RBPF and Bahamian officials abuse the OPBAT program and their relationship with the DEA to disrupt U.S.-led law enforcement attempts to combat drug trafficking in The Bahamas. Corrupt RBPF officials have, among other things, denied the DEA access to seized cocaine and evidence, provided information to the DEA that was contradicted by aerial surveillance, and even informed a DEA agent that certain drug trafficking targets were “off limits.”
As alleged, CURTIS is an RBPF Chief Superintendent who supervises airport locations throughout The Bahamas, including the Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau (the “Nassau Airport”), which is the largest airport in The Bahamas. In exchange for bribes made by drug traffickers, CURTIS has abused his official position to, among other things, provide safe passage for cocaine shipments through airports in The Bahamas, with the assistance of other corrupt officials such as RBPF Sergeant PRINCE ALBERT SYMONETTE. For instance, on or about October 18, 2023, CURTIS and SYMONETTE each accepted approximately $10,000 in bribe payments as a down payment for their assistance in what they understood to be an upcoming 600-kilogram cocaine shipment to The Bahamas through the Nassau Airport, for eventual distribution to the U.S. Additionally, in or about September 2024, CURTIS explained that, in exchange for a $2 million bribe, a high-ranking Bahamian politician that CURTIS named would authorize the assistance and involvement of armed RBPF officials to facilitate incoming cocaine shipments. CURTIS and ROKER also discussed abusing their official positions to transport drug proceeds from cocaine sales in the U.S. back to The Bahamas, including with Bahamian government and military aircraft.
Other corrupt Bahamian officials, such as ROKER, a Chief Petty Officer in the RBDF, have facilitated maritime drug trafficking activities through The Bahamas and into the U.S. by providing sensitive information about U.S. Coast Guard and DEA-led OPBAT operations to alert drug traffickers, in exchange for bribes. RICCARDO ADOLPHUS DAVIS also purports to be an official in the Bahamian government who used his influence with corrupt Bahamian government officials to authorize drug trafficking facilitated by RBPF officials.
Drug traffickers who work with the RBPF and other Bahamian officials coordinate closely with pilots to fly their U.S.-bound cocaine shipments from Central and South America into The Bahamas. These pilots also work for various Bahamian private charter companies that provide flight services to Bahamian citizens and foreign tourists who are visiting The Bahamas.
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CURTIS, 51, of The Bahamas; SYMONETTE, 52, of The Bahamas; ROKER, 56, of The Bahamas; DAVIS, 59, of The Bahamas; SIMEON, 52, of The Bahamas; THEODORE NATHANIEL ADDERLEY, a/k/a “Blue,” 53, of The Bahamas; JOSHUA MCDONALD SCAVELLA, a/k/a “Cow,” 46, of The Bahamas; STEELE-POMARE, 59, of Colombia; OROZCO-TORO, 58, of Colombia; DAVON REVION KHAIM ROLLE, 34, of The Bahamas; DARREN ARTHUR FERGUSON, a/k/a “Hubba,” 54, of The Bahamas; DOMONICK DELANCY, 36, of The Bahamas; and DONALD FREDERICK FERGUSON II, a/k/a “DJ,” a/k/a “Billy,” 26, of The Bahamas, are charged with cocaine importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; using and carrying firearms during, and possessing firearms in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and conspiring to use and carry firearms during, and possessing firearms in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division’s Bilateral Investigations Unit, Nassau Country Office, Bogota Country Office, and Panama City Country Office, as well as the assistance of the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky, Nicholas S. Bradley, and Juliana N. Murray are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If you or someone you know has information about the conduct in this case, please contact the DEA’s tip line at BahamasNarcoTips@dea.gov
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-cocaine-importation-charges-against-chief-superintendent-royal#:~:text=ELVIS%20NATHANIEL%20CURTIS%2C%20an%20RBPF,the%20Southern%20District%20of%20Florida
Bahamas News
Next U.S. Ambassador? Walker Pledges Business-Driven Approach as U.S. Looks to Counter China in The Bahamas
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
The Bahamas, September 16, 2025 – For the first time since 2011, the United States is on the cusp of sending an ambassador to The Bahamas — and the nominee, former football star turned entrepreneur Herschel Walker, is promising to bring his business instincts to the diplomatic table.
Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, Walker underscored that his background in food-service companies and small business leadership has prepared him to think practically about investment. “I know how to run a business, how to create jobs, how to make payroll. Those lessons translate into building relationships and building trust,” Walker said.
Walker, who was nominated by President Trump in December 2024, faced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 11. As of now, he has not yet been confirmed; his nomination remains under review, pending a committee vote before it can move to the full Senate. If approved, he would become the first U.S. ambassador to The Bahamas since 2011.
For years, U.S. officials have stressed security and counternarcotics cooperation with The Bahamas, including through “Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos.” But in areas like infrastructure, medical care, and long-term investment, Washington has often been absent.
Hospitals and clinics remain under-resourced, and hurricane recovery has been slow in many islands. Chinese state-backed firms, by contrast, have shown up with financing packages and construction deals — a presence that has raised alarms on Capitol Hill.
“Only 50 miles off our shore, The Bahamas is too important for us to ignore,” warned Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders during Walker’s hearing. They called China’s inroads “strategic, not charitable,” suggesting Beijing’s long game is about ports, proximity, and political leverage.
Walker positioned himself as a nontraditional but pragmatic envoy. He argued that his business career, rooted in private sector success, equips him to champion American investment in The Bahamas.
He pledged to:
- Promote U.S. companies interested in medical and infrastructure projects.
- Support an environment that encourages American investors to see The Bahamas as more than just a beach destination.
- Highlight opportunities for partnerships that improve public services, healthcare, and resilience against hurricanes.
“I’ve built businesses. I know what it takes to attract investors and create opportunity. That is exactly what I intend to bring to our relationship with The Bahamas,” Walker said.
The Bahamas is not just a tourist paradise. It’s a frontline state in migration, drug interdiction, and hurricane response. More than six
million U.S. visitors travel there annually, making stability and safety a U.S. domestic concern as much as a foreign policy one.
And yet, with the ambassador post vacant for 14 years, the U.S. has often looked detached — opening space for China’s ambitious Belt and Road agenda. The fear is that infrastructure deals signed today could give Beijing leverage in the region tomorrow. Walker’s confirmation would symbolize a course correction, signaling Washington’s intent to re-engage not only in security but in the economic future of The Bahamas. Not everyone is convinced Herschel Walker is the right man for the job. His nomination revived controversies from his 2022 Senate run, including past allegations, public gaffes, and doubts about whether he has the diplomatic polish the post demands. Some senators and analysts questioned whether celebrity and business experience were enough for a role requiring nuance in foreign policy and geopolitics.
Critics argued that The Bahamas, sitting just 50 miles from Florida and facing intense Chinese interest, deserves a seasoned diplomat rather than a political ally.
Walker confronted those doubts head-on. “People have underestimated me all my life — in academics, athletics, and business,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “And I have always proven them wrong, through discipline, determination, and by outworking everyone.”
He admitted he had never served as an ambassador but countered that his career prepared him in other ways: building businesses, managing payrolls, and connecting with people from all walks of life. He framed his business background as a strength, promising to use it to encourage U.S. investment in healthcare, infrastructure, and hurricane resilience projects in The Bahamas.
Rather than sparring with critics, Walker leaned on confidence and persistence: “I know how to build trust and find common ground. That’s what this relationship needs.”
If confirmed, Walker would have to balance his role as diplomat with expectations of being a commercial cheerleader for U.S. firms. His emphasis on entrepreneurship suggests a willingness to push U.S. businesses toward opportunities in healthcare, ports, and post-storm reconstruction — areas where Bahamians say they need the most support.
For Bahamian officials, the question will be whether Washington is prepared to back words with financing. U.S. private sector dollars, paired with aid and development partnerships, could help shift the tide against Chinese influence.
For Walker, the test will be whether his business acumen can translate into diplomatic wins — giving Bahamians alternatives to Beijing, while deepening the U.S. role in the Caribbean.
Analysis: If Walker delivers, this appointment could mark a turning point: a U.S. strategy that recognizes that in the Caribbean, investment is diplomacy.
The Bahamas, September 10, 2025 – Rescue swimmers from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Aviation Training Center in
Mobile, Alabama visited Nassau to train Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) and Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) members in water survival skills as part of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) earlier this week.
“Training alongside our USCG partners ensures our personnel are best prepared for the unique challenges of joint operations” said Superintendent Wendy Pearson, Commander Drug Enforcement Unit.
The multi-day exercise, centered on the USCG’s Shallow Water Egress Training (SWET), enhanced the safety and preparedness of Bahamian partners who routinely operate aboard USCG helicopters during OPBAT missions. The exercise provided hands-on instruction for 31 participants and strengthened interoperability between U.S. and Bahamian agencies engaged in counter-drug, search and rescue, and maritime security operations throughout the region.
“We were excited and proud to have the opportunity to share our expertise with our Bahamian partners. Not only did RBDF and RBPF
perform exceptionally well, they exceeded the standards we set for the event,” said Petty Officer Second Class Cole Johnson, USCG.
OPBAT is a cooperative multi-agency international operation supporting The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands to stop illicit drug smuggling through the region. U.S. Embassy Nassau Chargé d’affaires Kimberly Furnish stated, “Since 1982, OPBAT has worked to stop the flow of illicit narcotics through the Caribbean, destined for the United States or other jurisdictions. This is international cooperation at its best.”
