A former heavyweight boxer from Montenegro was charged by the U.S. Division of Justice on Monday with trafficking in 22 tons of cocaine price over $1 billion, most of which was a part of one of many largest cocaine seizures in American historical past.
Goran Gogic, 43, was arrested on Sunday night time whereas attempting to board a flight to Zurich from Miami Worldwide Airport, after being indicted by a grand jury in New York.
Prosecutors charged Gogic with three counts of violating the federal Maritime Drug Regulation Enforcement Act, and one rely of conspiracy. Every rely carries a compulsory minimal 10-year jail time period and attainable life sentence.
Gogic was detained after a short look earlier than U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Lisette Reid in Miami, his lawyer stated. One other detention listening to is scheduled for Nov. 7.
The fees stem from the seizures of twenty-two tons of cocaine from three industrial cargo ships in 2019, together with 19.8 tons from the MSC Gayane whereas it was docked at Philadelphia’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal.
Prosecutors stated the conspirators transported cocaine to Europe from Colombia by means of American ports, utilizing cranes and nets at night time to hoist medication onto cargo ships from approaching speedboats alongside the ships’ routes.
The complicated operation required data of every ship’s crew, route and placement information, and that there was room to retailer medication in delivery containers that have been already aboard, prosecutors stated.
In accordance with courtroom papers, Gogic oversaw the logistics, coordinating with crew members, Colombian traffickers and European dockworkers to learn himself and his Balkan-based cartels.
In an announcement, U.S. Legal professional Breon Peace in Brooklyn known as Gogic’s arrest and indictment “a powerful victory for regulation enforcement.”
Lawrence Cannabis, the lawyer for Gogic, stated: “These costs got here as a shock to him. He maintains his innocence, and had come to the U.S. for a boxing conference in Puerto Rico.”
A minimum of eight Gayane crew members have pleaded responsible to conspiracy costs.
In accordance with on-line data, Gogic was a boxer from 2001 to 2012, profitable 21 bouts and shedding 4 with two attracts.
