British Virgin Islands premier accused of smuggling cocaine

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and DÁNICA COTO
The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — The premier of the British Virgin Islands appeared in federal court in Miami on Friday after his arrest on cocaine-smuggling charges. The allegations against him coupled with a separate corruption inquiry are unleashing calls to suspend the Caribbean territory’s government. The Thursday arrest of Premier Andrew Alturo Fahie in Florida prompted the U.K.-appointed governor of the British Virgin Islands to immediately release a damning report from a probe into separate wide-ranging allegations of corruption. The dramatic developments place the immediate future of the British overseas territory into doubt.