As per the Department of Justice, Goran Gogic, aged 43, was apprehended on Sunday evening while attempting to embark on a journey to Zurich from Miami International Airport, subsequent to being charged by a grand jury in New York.
During the months of February, March, and June in the year 2019, a total of 22 tons of cocaine were discovered aboard three different commercial cargo vessels, leading to legal charges being brought against the former enforcer in relation to the confiscations.
As per the federal authorities, during the raid on June 19, 2019, authorities discovered a staggering 19.8 tons of narcotics on board the MSC Gayane while it was stationed at Philadelphia’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. This event stands as one of the most significant confiscations of cocaine in the history of the United States.
Between May 2018 and July 2019, the individuals involved in the conspiracy moved cocaine to Europe from Colombia by utilizing American ports. They employed cranes and nets during nighttime to lift drugs onto cargo ships from speedboats that approached along the ships’ designated paths, as per prosecutors.
Prosecutors stated that there were already containers filled with drugs on board the ship, stored in a room. Additionally, they had information regarding the location and route of the ship, as well as the necessary knowledge for operating the complex crew.
Allegedly, upon their arrival, a distinct group of workers with port access in Europe covertly utilized the cocaine from the shipping containers, as claimed by the drug trafficking ring.
Himself and his Balkan-based cartels, Gogic oversaw the logistics, coordinating with crew members, Colombian traffickers, and European dockworkers, according to court papers.
Gogic, whose professional boxing career lasted for over ten years, was charged with three instances of breaking the federal Maritime Drug Law, as well as one instance of conspiracy, instead of just the Enforcement Act.
Every offense carries a compulsory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and the potential for a life sentence.
Gogic was imprisoned following a short court appearance in Miami on Monday, as described as a “sophisticated narcotics dealer” by NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, according to his attorney. A further hearing for his detention has been set for November 7th.
Attorney Lawrence Hashish stated, “In Puerto Rico, he maintains his innocence and expresses his surprise at these charges, as a boxing convention was scheduled for the U.S. To attend.”
In a statement, US Attorney Breon Peace in Brooklyn described Gogic’s arrest and indictment as “a significant triumph for law enforcement.”