Opinion ID: 3061858
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: McDonald’s Testimony

Text: Gary McDonald (“McDonald”), a pilot from Freeport who had moved to Bogota, Colombia in 1989, next testified that he was contacted in April or May of 1996 by an individual named Nelson Urrego about transporting 1100 kilograms of cocaine from Jamaica into the United States. When Urrego asked McDonald if McDonald knew anyone who could get the drugs from Jamaica into the United States, McDonald recommended Knowles because “at that time . . . [Knowles] was the one who was pretty much controlling Jamaica.” Id. at 551-54. According to McDonald, it was “common knowledge” among drug traffickers that Knowles could smuggle the drugs into the U.S. from Jamaica. Id. at 554. McDonald called Knowles and told him that he had access to 1100 kilograms of cocaine in Jamaica. Knowles agreed to help McDonald transport the cocaine to the U.S., in exchange for which Knowles would receive thirty percent of the drugs. The remaining seventy percent of the load would be delivered to the Colombians. The cocaine 20 arrived in the United States about three weeks after McDonald talked to Knowles, and McDonald was paid $500,000 for his part in the transaction. McDonald further testified that he and Knowles smuggled 2500 kilograms of cocaine into the United States in 2000.12