A Jamaican Drug Lord's NYC Ties
The manhunt continues for Christopher "Dudus" Coke in Jamaica, where at least 73 people have been killed in gun battles between security forces and Coke's "Shower Posse" since last weekend. Coke's brother is out on bail in Manhattan awaiting trial.
Coke is wanted in the US on gun and drug charges and he is said to have close ties to Jamaican PM Bruce Golding, who ordered the assault on Coke's stronghold in Kingston only after months of US pressure. A state of emergency was declared last weekend. The Post reports that his brother, Omar "Lion" Coke, is awaiting trial for allegedly trying to move a ton of weed. Omar works as a security guard in New York.
Dudus Coke's main US operations are in the Bronx and Queens. Jamaican businessmen are said to have flown into the US with drugs and purchased guns here to send back to Jamaica for the Shower Posse. In Kingston, Coke is seen by many as a better caretaker than the government, and the Guardian reports that protesters were carrying signs in the capital that read "Jesus died for us. We will die for Dudus."
Dudus Coke is still on the run, but the Daily News reports that he may turn himself in to US authorities this weekend. A source close to Coke said he would prefer to avoid being locked up in a Jamaican jail. Probably a good idea.