Routine Coast Guard inspection uncovers $6 million dollars worth of cocaine on a boat
James Edward White, 35, was piloting a 36-foot Sea Ray named Bella Vita when he entered Port Everglades around 6:40 p.m. Saturday, according to federal officials. Coast Guard officers, conducting a routine patrol, stopped the vessel for inspection near Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park.
White, the only person on board, told officers he had traveled from the Bahamas and admitted there were drugs on the vessel. A search of the boat uncovered multiple suitcases in the lower cabin, each containing tightly wrapped packages. Field tests later confirmed the substance as cocaine — totaling a street value of $6.3 million, according to the Coast Guard.
Homeland Security investigators took White into custody at the Coast Guard's station in Fort Lauderdale, where officials say he waived his Miranda rights and spoke with investigators.
White claimed he was initially hired to transport migrants but was instead given a drug-loaded boat in Nassau, Bahamas. White said he was instructed to deliver the vessel to a contact in Fort Lauderdale but was stopped before he could do so.
Federal prosecutors have charged White with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempt to import a controlled substance.
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Providence's Bonded Vault robbery, 50 years later
I asked Tim to reflect on everything he's learned, and update us on whether we'll ever see a proper version of this story told on the big screen. Q: You're airing a special report at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the 50th anniversary of the heist. What should viewers expect to see? Advertisement White: I've tracked down a lot of material over two decades of reporting on the heist, including a wild video of the lead gunman's alleged funeral. A while ago, someone leaked me another video of him discussing the caper – he was in witness protection at the time, so it was kept under wraps for years. Tonight's reports use WPRI archive video to retell how the heist went down, showcase its impact on Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up Q: This story has had a decades-long shelf life, and you coauthored the definitive book on it. But I still wonder if readers today understand quite how seismic it was in the 1970s. Is this even the kind of heist that could happen today? Advertisement White: This heist shouldn't have happened then, to be honest – the gang of thieves that stormed 101 Cranston St. in Providence wasn't exactly the crew from 'Ocean's 11.' And what made it even more remarkable was that Bonded Vault was probably the safest place to hide ill-gotten gains in 1975, because it was controlled by the mob itself. But as we detailed in the book, the gang had the approval of the boss himself, the late Raymond L.S. Patriarca, though he always denied involvement. The case wound up leading to the longest and most expensive trial in state history, and had all sorts of other ripple effects. Q: Your father was obviously a legendary reporter, and you have a great story about how your family helped you land the scoop of a lifetime when you tracked down one of the leaders of the robbery. Tell us about that. White: My coauthors and I were struggling to figure out what happened to the lead gunman, Robert Dussault. The feds whisked him away after he testified for the government. In 2008, three years after Dad died, my mom brought me a box of stuff from her basement which included an empty envelope. The return address was from Colorado with a name I didn't recognize: Robert Dempsey. But I remembered Dad telling me Dussault was relocated and given a job at Coors Brewing. I figured out the return address was a prison, and records showed the inmate was dead. I used those documents to request Dempsey's FBI file, and nearly two years later I got a box in the mail with hundreds of pages. The top sheet: 'Robert Dussault a.k.a. Robert Dempsey.' It completed the story. If mom hadn't dropped off that box, I'm not sure we'd be doing this Q&A. Advertisement Q: You wrote the book about this, and there was also a third-rate White: Bestselling author and screenwriter Don Winslow is still very interested in the project, and as far as Wayne, Randy and I are concerned, he has the best vision for it. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Q: I have to finish with the obligatory organized crime question. We know the Mafia isn't remotely as powerful as it was in the 1970s. But do underground safes or banks like the one in this story still exist for mobsters to hide their ill-gotten gains? White: If there's anything like Bonded Vault that exists today, I'm not aware of it. In this era, tangible loot is more likely to be smuggled to a foreign country with looser rules. And contemporary organized crime cases show 'underground safes' are more often computer network servers that store scammed funds. Call me old school, but it's just not as interesting as a secret room tucked away inside a Providence fur storage warehouse. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Advertisement Dan McGowan can be reached at
Fox News
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GOP Senate hopeful unloads on Biden admin after whistleblower exposes who was sold IDs: 'Appalled'
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New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
DC residents protest as White House says federal agents will be on patrol 24/7
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Drug Enforcement Administration officers were seen on the National Mall, while National Guard members were parked nearby. 10 Federal agents and DC Metro Police conduct a traffic checkpoint on Aug. 13, 2025. AP 10 Protesters yell at federal agents on 14th Street during a joint checkpoint operation. AP DEA agents also joined Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol in the Navy Yard neighborhood, while FBI agents stood along the heavily trafficked Massachusetts Avenue. Hundreds of federal law enforcement and city police officers who patrolled the streets Tuesday night made 43 arrests, compared with about two dozen the night before. DC Councilmember Christina Henderson downplayed the arrest reports as 'a bunch of traffic stops' and said the administration was seeking to disguise how unnecessary this federal intervention is. 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Targeting a variety of infractions The arrests made by 1,450 federal and local officers across the city included those for suspicion of driving under the influence and unlawful entry, as well as a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon, according to the White House. Seven illegal firearms were seized. 10 National Guard members gather at the US Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility after their deployment in Washington DC on Aug. 13, 2025. REUTERS There have now been more than 100 arrests since Trump began beefing up the federal law enforcement presence in Washington last week, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said. 'President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital,' she said. The president has full command of the National Guard and has activated up to 800 troops to support law enforcement, though exactly what form remains to be determined. 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REUTERS 10 Metropolitan Police and Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents set up a traffic checkpoint along 14th Street on Aug. 13, 2025. AP Violent crime has dropped in the district The federal effort comes even after a drop in violent crime in the nation's capital, a trend that experts have seen in cities across the US since an increase during the coronavirus pandemic. On average, the level of violence Washington remains mostly higher than averages in three dozen cities analyzed by the nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice, said the group's president and CEO, Adam Gelb. Police Chief Pamela Smith said during an interview with the local Fox affiliate that the city's Metro Police Department has been down nearly 800 officers. She said the increased number of federal agents on the streets would help fill that gap, at least for now. 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