The Audio Long Read Walking into disaster: the narcotrafficking scandal that blew up the BVI
Feb 9, 2026
A political rise that collides with disaster recovery and deepening corruption. A premier hires armed private security and reshapes institutions with alarming speed. A massive cocaine seizure exposes police links to organised crime. A judge-led inquiry recommends sweeping reforms while local trust and governance teeter on the brink.
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Governor's First Crisis
- Gus Jaspert arrived in Tortola two weeks before Hurricane Irma struck and led emergency responses amid devastation.
- He sheltered his family and made urgent governance decisions from a hospital basement as basic services collapsed.
Disaster Reveals Systemic Weaknesses
- Hurricane Irma exposed long-standing corruption, nepotism and weak accountability in the BVI.
- Disaster relief heightened tensions between the governor's constitutional role and elected officials' authority.
Unconventional Power Grab
- After his 2019 victory, Premier Andrew Foy demanded an armed private security detail and fired municipal boards.
- His rapid changes, like appointing a former convict to a board, alarmed Governor Jaspert and Police Commissioner Mick Matthews.