Montenegro Citizen Extradited to Face Drug Charges in New York

Milos Radonjic, a 34-year-old Montenegrin citizen known as the “pirate of the unknown,” has been extradited from Italy to New York City to face serious charges linked to an international drug trafficking operation. Federal prosecutors and officials from the Department of Homeland Security and FBI confirmed that Radonjic arrived in Brooklyn on Friday. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Monday, where Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak deemed him a flight risk and ordered his detention until trial, scheduled for August 26. Radonjic was indicted by a federal grand jury last year alongside several others for conspiracy and attempts to violate the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. Court documents reveal that he was a high-ranking member of a transnational drug organization that utilized commercial cargo ships to transport large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe, specifically for drug cartels operating in the Balkans. Allegations indicate that crew members of these ships were complicit in the trafficking activities. US authorities detailed that Radonjic and his associates employed speed boats to covertly deliver drugs to cargo ships in international waters near Colombia and Ecuador. Prosecutors emphasized that their operations have significantly contributed to the ongoing overdose and drug addiction crisis in the United States and globally. US Attorney Breon Peace remarked that this extradition underscores the commitment to enforcing the rule of law on the high seas. As of Saturday, Radonjic had not yet been assigned legal representation, and the identities of other indicted individuals remain undisclosed.