Overview
- DEA agents charged passenger Jonathan Eric Gardiner, 58, with cocaine import conspiracy in the Southern District of New York after the May 12 ditching off Florida.
- Agents say rescuers found him with about $30,000 in Bahamian cash packed like drug proceeds, three phones, and a note naming a redacted “Politician-1.”
- The Beechcraft that departed Marsh Harbour on May 12 ditched roughly 50 to 80 miles off Florida after an in‑flight emergency, and U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force crews lifted all 12 people from life rafts about five hours later.
- Federal aviation investigators are reviewing possible engine failure and loss of control that left the pilot unable to turn back, with the FAA leading the probe.
- Court records cite Gardiner’s prior U.S. narcotics and money‑laundering convictions and a 2024 indictment tied to a Georgia‑based ring, and he now has a May 21 court appearance after a May 15 immigration hold.