TIVOLI Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who the US Department of State last week branded one of the world's most dangerous narco criminals, is the latest member of the Coke family to have made headlines for the wrong reason.The US Drug Enforcement Agency says Coke has inherited the reins of the notorious Shower Posse and has accused him of trafficking in cocaine, marijuana and arms.
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Coke, also known as 'The President' and 'Shortman', has lost his father, two brothers and a sister violently and now faces life imprisonment in a US penal facility. He is the adopted son of the late Jamaica Labour Party political enforcer and accused drug dealer, Lester Lloyd Coke, more popularly known as 'Jim Brown'.
Lester Coke, along with his confidante Vivian Blake, were the two leading figures in the Shower Posse. Blake was responsible for the US-based operations of the gang, while Lester Coke held things together on local soil before he made his foray into the US and helped to set up cells of the Shower Posse in New York, Miami, Kansas City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other cities.
As the Shower Posse extended its reach, it became an increasing annoyance to the US federal authorities because of its blatant disregard for life. Several gruesome murders related to drug deals gone sour were blamed on the Shower Posse and soon the US Government were determined to stamp out the gang.
The largesse garnered from the illegal drug trade brought Lester Coke a new found power, and coupled with his ruthless enforcer style, resulted in a new breed of political thugs who no longer looked to politicians for handouts.
The power that came with the ill-gotten gains soon began to play out in the streets of Kingston. In the early 1980s, Lester Coke was virtually untouchable.
Now Dudus finds himself in the headlines as the US awaits a decision from the Jamaican Government for his extradition, similar to his father who took that route 17 years before him.