By: Gerald Singer

Gerald Singer — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:04:02 +0000

I agree about the difficulty (or advisability) of carrying 80 pound bales onshore at Frenchcap at night. The moon was near full that night; so it’s possible (but unlikely) that the pilot would be able to observe such a thing (if it indeed happened at all) without making too many passes and without making too much noise. (Customs uses the services of private pilots with small planes to do surveillance work, offering the opportunity to build up flying hours with fuel paid for by Uncle Sam, but they usually do this on weekend days and not at night.)
The one thing I don’t agree with you about is that in modern usage the word “yola” does indeed refer to an open boat, usually about 25 – 30 feet long with a fairly narrow beam, often powered twin outboards, which are mostly used for fishing, but nowadays, also serving to smuggle people and/or contraband.

By: Ed Gibney

Ed Gibney — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:47:52 +0000

They swam bales to shore on French Cap and stashed them? If you’ve ever been near French Cap you’ll know this is impossible. In broad daylight without a load it’s hard to get up on French Cap. At night with a 50-80 lb bale of cocaine? Out of the question.
There are other elements of this story that don’t make sense either. How do you track a boat without navigation lights from an airplane? And, even if you could do that (maybe thermally?) wouldn’t the circling plane spook the smugglers?
Finally if you know Spanish you’ll know that a yola is usually a small homemade boat with sails and oars. A fast powerboat with two large outboard motors is not a yola.

Comments on: St. John News: CBP intercepts vessel with over 300 kilos of cocaine

By: Gerald Singer

By: Ed Gibney