Norman Cay is a small Bahamian island (several hundred acres) in Exumas, a chain of islands to the south and east of Nassau, serving as the headquarters for drug trafficking operations Carlos Lehder from 1978 to about 1982.
Video Norman's Cay
Drug smuggling history
As part of the MedellÃÆ'n Cartel, Lehder uses the island as a diversionary base to smuggle cocaine to the United States. Lehder, previously with his partner George Jung and then through Norman Cay, is often credited with revolutionizing drug smuggling. The typical method of transporting small items, often carried by human donkey donkeys, either through consumption or in their trunk, to commercial airlines, is surpassed by the use of small planes that deliver the entire charge of cocaine.
Lehder eventually built a 3,300 foot (1,000 m) runway for its fleet of aircraft. To protect the island, armed guards and attack dogs patrol the beaches and runways, and the radar is employed. Every pilot who was stupid enough to land there was quickly warned by a fully armed guard. The island is a strategic point for Colombian drug flights to refuel and rest before proceeding to the United States.
The island is a location for partying. Carlos Toro recalled, "Cay Norman is a playground.I have a clear picture of being picked up in Land Rover with top down and naked women driving to come and greet me from my plane... And there we are partying, and that is Sodom and Gomorrah... drugs, sex, no police... you make rules... and that's fun. "
Marine biologist Richard E. Novak, a former diving chief on the island, fought back, waging a one-man heroic war but ended up in vain to free Cay Norman. It was not until 1982, under pressure from US law enforcement, and despite years of turning a blind eye, did the Bahamas government begin to crack down on drug smuggling operations on the island. In 1987, after Lehder was arrested in Colombia and extradited for trial in the US, his property was confiscated. Now the destination can be reached by charter flights.
Recent years
The island was again the subject of a small controversy when the newly elected Progressive government honored the pre-election agreement in principle to sell part of the government-owned island, worth $ 40.5 million, despite objections from the local population. MP. The government believes it can encourage further foreign investment.
The consortium of local and foreign owners' islands, including Bahama Mark Holowesko, Martin Solomon, Greg Cleare, James Cole, US investors J. Steven Manolis and Jonathan Breene, have planned to include Aman Resorts resort network. The island is said to have been sold to Fort Capital Group based in Miami.
Maps Norman's Cay
Transportation
The island is served by Norman Cay Airport, although by 2018, the airport has no commercial aviation services.
In popular culture
Norman Cay has been featured in several works.
Movies
- The Biopic Blow (2001), starring Johnny Depp as George Jung.
Literature
- Punch: How a Little Town Boy Made $ 100 Million with MedellÃÆ'n Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All (1993) by George Jung and author Bruce Porter.
- Mid Ocean (2009), a novel by T. Rafael Cimino about drug traffickers and federal agents pursuing them. The novel was compiled in the Florida Keys in the mid-1980s and listed as one of the top 20 novels to read before being filmed.
- Changing the Flow: One Male Against the Medellin Cartel (2010) by Sidney D. Kirkpatrick, the true story of a college professor bringing a brutal cocaine kingpin to court.
- Weight (2014), by T. Rafael Cimino and George Jung.
References
External links
- Photos of Cay Norman on Flickr
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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