One man from the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis is among five (5) men who were recently freed of charges, in connection with a major cocaine seizure in BVI (British Virgin Islands) waters. The men walked free after Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards upheld a no-case submission and dismissed the charges against them.

Those freed of the charges of importation of a controlled drug and possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Candido Rois Quezada of St Kitts and Nevis, Cesar Diaz Abrahim and Ronald James of Trinidad & Tobago, Joel Santana Santos and Francisco Mejia Ortiz of the Dominican Republic.

Bvinews.com says the men were among six people arrested after police intercepted the cargo vessel C Elizabeth II near Virgin Gorda in December 2025. Their trial began in May, with each pleading not guilty, except for the sixth accused — the boat captain.

Police witnesses testified that officers approached the vessel during the early morning hours of Dec. 9^th last year after spotting it at sea. Officers said they observed several people moving rapidly on deck and throwing packages overboard.

Lawmen subsequently recovered 32 bags from the sea. However, attorney E. Leroy Jones, representing the five defendants, argued that prosecutors failed to establish that his clients knew about or had control of the drugs. A major issue in the case was identification.

During cross-examination, one police witness acknowledged that although he saw more than three people throwing items overboard, he could not identify which individuals were responsible. Magistrate Richards ultimately upheld the defence’s no-case submission, bringing the case against the five men to an end.