Jamaica protecting crime boss with connections to ruling party: Report

A report by the Associated Press (AP) news agency says Jamaica is resisting a U.S. request to hand over a suspected crime boss with ties to the country's governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

And it says there are reports that the man is stockpiling weapons in his Kingston stronghold to prevent arrest.

AP said the United States made a request to the government in August for the extradition of Christopher "Dudus" Coke but so far Jamaica has only responded with requests for more information about the gun and drug trafficking charges against the man.

The U.S. Justice Department has identified Coke as one of the world's most dangerous drug kingpins. It alleges that the gang leader controls a band of gunmen inside Tivoli Gardens, a barricaded neighborhood of Kingston, which has one of the highest homicide rates in the Western Hemisphere.

Patricia Attkisson, spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Kingston told AP on Thursday, "The U.S. government is looking forward to the Jamaican government respecting their obligations under the treaty."

The opposition People's National Party (PNP) has criticized the government for not moving faster to deal with the issue.

"The cascading effect of international reaction to the administration's inaction could lead ultimately to Jamaica being labeled and declared a 'rogue state,' with lasting adverse implications for our people," opposition MP Peter Bunting told AP.

The agency said it did not get a response from the government.

AP quoted Coke's lawyer, Tom Tavares-Finson, as saying that his client has not been in touch with the government and is not privy to the details of any discussions between the U.S. and Jamaica.

"We're waiting to hear what the decision is," said Tavares-Finson, who has dismissed the U.S. charges as "hype."

AP said the alleged leader of the "Shower Posse" gang, is charged in the U.S. Southern District of New York with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms. It said he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

AP said authorities in Jamaica fear that if Coke is arrested there could be an islandwide explosion of violence since the country has been stratified along political lines since the violent 1980 general election that saw armed gangs affiliated with each of the two main parties.

Horace Levy, who works to reduce community violence through the government-launched Peace Management Initiative told AP, "The information I have, which is good information, is that he is preparing to defend himself," and is even equipped with gas masks, Levy said.

"There is a serious intent...not to hand himself in and defend himself," he said.