THE AMERICANS MAKE UP MORE CHARGES ON POOR GARDENER

On 12 May 2026, the evidence is by misadventure a plane crash carrying 12 Bahamians landed in waters near Melbourne, Florida, 245 miles off course.  The people on aboard all survived. They were later released after rescue from the coastguard. The trip was a routine trip of voters seeking to cast their ballots in a general election being held that day in The Bahamas. On that trip happened to be a man named Eric Gardener.  From all accounts, while convicted previously for drug trafficking, he was out of that life and was on the straight and narrow, performing various contractual work for the government.  The Americans say not.  They instead took a month to pin charges on him that he smuggled or conspired to smuggle drugs into their country. They have held him largely incommunicado since that time and have shuffled him from court to court.  He is now in New York awaiting the trial in a country where no Bahamian can get a fair trial. The DEA agent who swore the affidavit in support of the first arrest made up a story about cash that was found on the flight in Bahamian dollars, claiming that it was consistent with money bundled for drug trafficking. Bahamian dollars are not the currency of drug traffickers. It was ridiculous on the face of it. The whole case seemed a tissue of lies designed to ensnare Bahamian officials who had nothing to do with it.  Now last week, they came up with a new story. This time they say he was trying to smuggle drugs into Georgia. This is almost certainly another false story, designed to sweat poor Mr. Gardener who is their captive by happenstance into saying stuff that will again ensnare Bahamian politicians. American justice at its finest. Next week, they will probably indict him for smuggling drugs into Nebraska. That’s how ridiculous the whole thing is.