Two Venezuelan nationals were arrested for cocaine possession, and have been slapped with a fine of EC$25,000.00 to be paid forthwith or in default 12 months in jail by Magistrate Asquith Riviere when they appeared in court on January 31, 2019. They were jointly charged with Lester Edmund but the charge against Edmund was withdrawn after they pleaded guilty.
According to the police, the men, Yomar Dario Perez Rangel and Yocsy Jose Fernandez were arrested on January 23, 2019 after entering the country illegally in St. Joseph and a quantity of 28,000 grams of cocaine was found in their possession.
They were represented by attorneys Wayne
In his mitigating plea, Williams told the court that his client
“It is tight and rough in Venezuela right now they know what they did was wrong but they were just trying something to feed their families,” Williams told the court.
He asked the court to “temper justice with mercy” and consider the plight of his clients and not impose a “harsh sentence.” “They have pleaded guilty on the first occasion, they have fully co-operated with the police, we asked that you think of them and their families and the situation that they are now facing in Venezuela Williams stated.
However, Magistrate Riviere said that “cocaine “was a dangerous drug which was causing havoc around the world and the court had to send a strong message to those thinking of want to get involved.” The men were also charged with importation of the drugs but pleaded not guilty and the matter has been adjourned to June 2019.
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