Aleksandar Kavaja, Cocaine Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2020

A monumental cocaine trafficking operation, which resulted in one of the largest drug seizures in U.S. history, has claimed another conspirator. Aleksandar Kavaja, a 27-year-old Montenegrin, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Harvey Bartle III to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

The charges against Kavaja stem from his involvement in a massive cocaine smuggling operation that took place in 2019. Kavaja, who worked as the electrician on the shipping vessel MSC Gayane, conspired with others to engage in bulk cocaine smuggling. On multiple occasions, crew members, including Kavaja, helped load huge quantities of cocaine onto the ship from speedboats that approached under cover of darkness.

Crew members used the Gayane’s crane to hoist cargo nets full of packaged cocaine onto the vessel and then stashed the drugs in various shipping containers. The operation was eventually uncovered on June 17, 2019, when federal, state, and local law enforcement agents boarded the MSC Gayane when it arrived at Packer Marine Terminal in the Port of Philadelphia and seized approximately 20 tons of cocaine on the ship, with a street value of over $1 billion.

“This momentous drug bust sent a clear message to criminals around the world that our city is not a safe harbor for their deadly drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain. “Prosecutors in my Office, in conjunction with our partner agencies, have been working non-stop for over a year to pursue justice in this case. And now another member of the conspiracy has been convicted and held accountable.”

Kavaja faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment. The case is being investigated by United States Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Customs and Border Protection, together with a multi-agency team of federal, state, and local partners.

“Protecting the Homeland against transnational crime is a top priority of Homeland Security Investigations,” said Brian A. Michael, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia. “Mr. Kavaja’s guilty plea is yet another example of HSI, our law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania working hand in hand to safeguard our community against transnational drug smuggling.”

The historic 20-ton cocaine bust remains one of the largest drug seizures in U.S. history, with a street value of over $1 billion. Kavaja’s guilty plea brings the total number of conspirators convicted in the case to several individuals, including other crew members who worked on the MSC Gayane.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/another-crew-member-pleads-guilty-historic-20-ton-cocaine-bust