Bahamian police chief resigns after US indicts officers in a massive drug trafficking case

Updated 1:28 PM CST, December 5, 2024

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Bahamas’ police commissioner has resigned after a sergeant and two officers were recently indicted in the U.S. in what federal authorities describe as a case of massive drug trafficking.

The Bahamas’ prime minister, Philip Brave Davis, announced on Wednesday that Clayton Fernander was stepping down, noting that he faces no charges in the case but that the police department needs a change.

“We are taking important steps to restore trust and accountability,” Davis told Parliament, adding that there’ll be more leadership changes in upcoming days.

The resignation comes after a police sergeant, a senior police officer and a Royal Bahamas Defense Force officer, and several other suspects were indicted in the U.S. in late November.

The U.S. Justice Department called the case a “massive cocaine importation conspiracy enabled by corrupt Bahamian government officials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.”

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