Jamaica Awards $100 Million in Contracts to Ward Boss Indicted by USA

Jamaica's government has awarded $100 million in contracts to Christopher "Dudus" Coke, a political strongman now indicted by the United States.

Coke heads a "garrison" in Kingston. Garrisons might be best understood as "Tammany Hall on Steroids." They are slum areas which rely on garrison strongmen such as Coke and closely linked to various Jamaican political parties.

The United States has indicted Coke on drug and weapons charges, but so far Jamaica has yet to extradite him.

There has been actual violence associated with the government's potentially extraditing him. Many assert that Coke is so vital to his garrison that massive civil unrest would result should he depart.