St. Lucians Arrested in St. Vincent for Smuggling Over 22 Kilos of Cocaine

Three St. Lucians have been denied bail after being charged with possession, drug trafficking, and conspiracy in connection with the trafficking of 22,243 grams of cocaine in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The defendants—Dolton “Degree” John, 32, a fisherman from Castries; Moses “Laygay” Barbour, 50, a steel bender and carpenter from Vieux Fort; and Ezra “Will” Henry, 49, a self-employed resident of Castries—appeared before Senior Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offences Court in Kingstown on Wednesday. All three pleaded not guilty to the charges, which are alleged to have occurred in Hamilton, Bequia, between September 16 and 17.

Prosecutor Inspector Renrick Cato opposed bail, citing concerns that the defendants, being non-nationals, might flee the jurisdiction if released. “St. Lucia is just across the waters,” Cato remarked, requesting a month of remand to allow time for testing the seized substance, as required when an accused pleads not guilty to drug-related charges.

In response, defense counsel Ronald Marks argued that Barbour has Vincentian heritage, with family ties in Barrouallie. While acknowledging that he would not seek bail at this time due to insufficient ties to the jurisdiction, Marks indicated he would pursue a bail application if necessary before the adjournment period ends. He also noted that the nationality of the other two defendants should not prevent them from being considered for bail.

Magistrate John ordered the trio to be remanded in custody, setting the trial date for October 17.