The&nbsp;British&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Islands' premier and chief port official were arrested Thursday at a Miami-area airport on charges of conspiring to traffic cocaine, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) said.

DEA agents at the Miami-Opa-locka Executive Airport took Premier Andrew Fahie and BVI Port Authority managing director Oleanvine Maynard into custody after they allegedly agreed to accept money from undercover agents posing as Mexican drug traffickers, the local Miami Herald newspaper reported.

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Fahie and Maynard were to inspect a plane carrying $700,000 that they would receive in exchange for facilitating cocaine shipments through their Caribbean territory, reported the Herald, citing US authorities.

The officials' arrests "should send a clear message," said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, in a statement.

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John Rankin, the&nbsp;British&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Islands' governor, said that the arrest was a "US operation led by the DEA."

"As this concerns the arrest of a&nbsp;British&nbsp;citizen, the US government has informed the UK government of this arrest, as part of the usual process followed when a&nbsp;British&nbsp;citizen is arrested abroad," he added.

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Rankin additionally stipulated that the arrest had nothing to do with the current&nbsp;British&nbsp;investigation into corruption in the Fahie government.

The&nbsp;British&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Islands is home to some 35,000 people and is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, a status that gives it partial autonomy.

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"I realize this will be shocking news for people in the territory. And I would call for calm at this time," said Rankin, who as governor was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on recommendation of the&nbsp;British&nbsp;government.&nbsp;

He noted that the deputy premier will become acting premier in the meantime.

The British Virgin Islands' premier and chief port official were arrested Thursday at a Miami-area airport on charges of conspiring to traffic cocaine, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) said.

The British Virgin Islands' premier and chief port official were arrested Thursday at a Miami-area airport on charges of conspiring to traffic cocaine, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) said. DEA agents at the Miami-Opa-locka Executive Airport took Premier Andrew Fahie and BVI Port Authority managing director Oleanvine Maynard into custody after they allegedly agreed to accept money from undercover agents posing as Mexican drug traffickers, the local Miami Herald newspaper reported. Also read | As Russians 'exert intense fire', US delivers 'more than half' howitzers to Ukraine, train its officers Fahie and Maynard were to inspect a plane carrying $700,000 that they would receive in exchange for facilitating cocaine shipments through their Caribbean territory, reported the Herald, citing US authorities. The officials' arrests "should send a clear message," said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, in a statement. Watch | Report: US left $7 billion of military gear in Afghanistan John Rankin, the British Virgin Islands' governor, said that the arrest was a "US operation led by the DEA." "As this concerns the arrest of a British citizen, the US government has informed the UK government of this arrest, as part of the usual process followed when a British citizen is arrested abroad," he added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE Rankin additionally stipulated that the arrest had nothing to do with the current British investigation into corruption in the Fahie government. The British Virgin Islands is home to some 35,000 people and is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, a status that gives it partial autonomy. Also read | US President Joe Biden to meet Indian PM Modi, other Quad leaders in Tokyo in May "I realize this will be shocking news for people in the territory. And I would call for calm at this time," said Rankin, who as governor was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on recommendation of the British government. He noted that the deputy premier will become acting premier in the meantime.

British Virgin Islands premier arrested in US drug sting

One of the Haitian-American men arrested on suspicion of taking part in the assassination of Haiti`s president last week had been an informant to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, a DEA official said on Monday. 
 
Haitian authorities last week arrested two Haitian-American men, Joseph Vincent, 55, and James Solages, 35, and charged them with joining 26 Colombians in the fatal attack on Haitian President Jovenel Moise. 
 
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to say which of the two men had been an informant. 
 
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"One of the suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise was a confidential source to the DEA," the DEA official said in an email, adding that the suspect had reached out to the DEA after the assassination and that it urged him to surrender. "These individuals were not acting on behalf of DEA." 
 
The suspect was not an active informant at the time of the assassination, a law enforcement source said. 
 
A third Haitian American, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, was arrested on Sunday by Haitian authorities, who accused him of being a mastermind of the attack. 
 
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US&nbsp;law enforcement and intelligence agencies are probing why the Haitian-American men may have taken part in the assassination. 
 
The US&nbsp;Justice Department said on Monday that it had been asked by Haiti to assist in the probe of Moise`s murder, and was doing so. 
 
"An initial assessment has been conducted in Haiti by senior U.S. officials," said spokesman Anthony Coley. "The department will also investigate whether there were any violations of U.S. criminal law in connection with this matter." 
 
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A source close to the investigation said Solages and Vincent told investigators they were translators for a Colombian commando unit that had an arrest warrant for Moise, but that when they arrived, they found Moise dead. 
 
Solages described himself online as a "certified diplomatic agent" and the former "chief commander of bodyguards" for the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. Those statements were made on the website of a charity he ran, which on Thursday removed them. Reuters reviewed an archived version that remains accessible. 
 
The Miami Herald quoted an unnamed government official as saying that a decade ago, Solages briefly worked for a company that provided security for the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. 
 
"We are aware of allegations implicating an individual who was briefly employed as a reserve bodyguard by a security company hired by Global Affairs Canada in 2010," the newspaper quoted the official as saying. 
 
Florida records show Solages has held security officer and firearm licenses. 
 
Few details have emerged about Vincent.

One of the Haitian-American men arrested on suspicion of taking part in the assassination of Haiti`s president last week had been an informant to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, a DEA official said on Monday.

One of the Haitian-American men arrested on suspicion of taking part in the assassination of Haiti`s president last week had been an informant to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, a DEA official said on Monday. Haitian authorities last week arrested two Haitian-American men, Joseph Vincent, 55, and James Solages, 35, and charged them with joining 26 Colombians in the fatal attack on Haitian President Jovenel Moise. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to say which of the two men had been an informant. Also read | Haiti President Jovenel Moise assassinated, wife injured; World leaders pay tribute "One of the suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise was a confidential source to the DEA," the DEA official said in an email, adding that the suspect had reached out to the DEA after the assassination and that it urged him to surrender. "These individuals were not acting on behalf of DEA." The suspect was not an active informant at the time of the assassination, a law enforcement source said. A third Haitian American, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, was arrested on Sunday by Haitian authorities, who accused him of being a mastermind of the attack. Also read | Haiti says 26 Colombians, two Haitian Americans among group that killed president US law enforcement and intelligence agencies are probing why the Haitian-American men may have taken part in the assassination. The US Justice Department said on Monday that it had been asked by Haiti to assist in the probe of Moise`s murder, and was doing so. "An initial assessment has been conducted in Haiti by senior U.S. officials," said spokesman Anthony Coley. "The department will also investigate whether there were any violations of U.S. criminal law in connection with this matter." Also read | Haiti asks US, UN to send security forces to stabilise country: Minister A source close to the investigation said Solages and Vincent told investigators they were translators for a Colombian commando unit that had an arrest warrant for Moise, but that when they arrived, they found Moise dead. Solages described himself online as a "certified diplomatic agent" and the former "chief commander of bodyguards" for the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. Those statements were made on the website of a charity he ran, which on Thursday removed them. Reuters reviewed an archived version that remains accessible. The Miami Herald quoted an unnamed government official as saying that a decade ago, Solages briefly worked for a company that provided security for the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. "We are aware of allegations implicating an individual who was briefly employed as a reserve bodyguard by a security company hired by Global Affairs Canada in 2010," the newspaper quoted the official as saying. Florida records show Solages has held security officer and firearm licenses. Few details have emerged about Vincent.

Former US drug agency informant arrested in Haiti assassination, DEA source says

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British Virgin Islands premier arrested in US drug sting

Former US drug agency informant arrested in Haiti assassination, DEA source says