Venezuelan drug mule receives two sentences totaling 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to cocaine charges

Renzo Eduardo Sanoja, the Venezuelan national charged with
possession of cocaine, has been sentenced to 18 months at His
Majesty’s Prison.
 
Originally, Sanoja had been scheduled to appear in the All Saints
Magistrate’s Court before District B Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel on
Monday, October 23. Instead, he appeared on Tuesday, after
reportedly having been severely beaten by his cellmate while
detained at the St. John’s Police Station.

The Police had arrested and charged Sanoja with possession of
cocaine; importation of cocaine; possession with intent to transfer;
and being concerned with the supply of cocaine.
 
He admitted his guilt and was sentenced by the magistrate to two
consecutive nine-month prison sentences.
 
The 40-year-old Venezuelan man reportedly had ingested 907
grammes of cocaine. He was intercepted at the V.C. Bird
International Airport on October 18, during a joint drug operation
by the Police and Customs officers.

During his interrogation, he reportedly confessed to law-
enforcement officials that he had swallowed a total of 74 cocaine
pellets.

He was immediately taken to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre,
where he subsequently expelled the illegal class A drug, which
carried an estimated street value of EC$63,236.