WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States (US) said Wednesday it was suspending the processing of immigrant visas from 75 countries, including Jamaica, in President Donald Trump’s latest move against foreigners seeking to come to America.

Read more: Jamaica among 75 countries hit with suspension of US immigrant visa processing

The inspector charged with offences relating to a January 8 drug bust reportedly told lawmen not to search his vehicle because there was cocaine inside and that people would be “exposed”, the prosecution revealed during case management on Wednesday.

A stop order was issued against 51-year-old Martin Walker at all ports of entry when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish court to answer to charges of possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, trafficking cocaine and conspiracy.

He was granted $2.5 million bail and has been ordered to surrender his travel documents and report to the police three times per week.

When the matter involving Walker, who is attached to Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch (CTOC), was initially called, the clerk of court revealed that the case file had only just been handed to her by the lawman responsible.

Upon hearing this, sitting Judge Sanchia Burrell expressed frustration with what she said was a recurring issue.

“I notice every time a police officer is charged and brought before this court that the file is handed in late. I want to understand that process…every time without fail,” she said.

Burrell continued, “Every single time, 100 per cent of the time when a police officer is charged, on day one, the file is handed to the clerk. It is beginning to seem deliberate, and it is police officers who are doing it, and we are all equal before the law.”

When the allegations against Walker were eventually read out in court, it was revealed that, acting on intelligence, lawmen from the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division had carried out an operation at a bar on Moore Street, Kingston 4.

Based on the information received, a search of all vehicles in the vicinity was initiated; however, the accused refused access to his vehicle, a blue Toyota Tacoma.

When asked why, he reportedly said, “The car cyah search.” When asked why, it is reported that the cop told FNID lawmen that cocaine was in the vehicle, and further said, “too much people ago expose”.

The vehicle was seized and transported to FNID headquarters, where a search revealed five parcels wrapped in masking tape containing a white powdery substance. The parcels weighed 11 pounds and 0.42 ounces combined, and the police officer present in court cited the value at over $5 million.

Walker’s attorney, Christopher Townsend, told the court that his client maintains his innocence, denying that he told the lawmen there was cocaine in the vehicle.

He cited his client’s 31 years of service and a recent promotion to inspector, highlighting what he described as a flawless record. Townsend maintained that his client has a very viable defence.

Walker is to return to court on March 23, 2026.

Burrell also took the time to make a court order mandating that the police complete the file, including outstanding material, by March 6.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith is advising Jamaicans impacted by the US immigrant visa pause to seek information directly from the embassy.

Read more: Jamaicans impacted by US immigrant visa pause advised to seek information from embassy

By Andrew Clunis

There is a delightful series on Netflix called The Rookie. You should watch it. There is so much to learn about patrol policing and the use of body worn cameras. Fiction it may be but usually a lot of fact-based research goes into the script writing. Surely there were many experienced consultants who would have worked on such a show to make it as authentic as possible.

In the show, whenever police officers prepare to go on patrol or operations one of the first things they must do is check out their body worn cameras. It is like part of the uniform. You see, body worn cameras not only record accurate details of police interaction with the public, they also serve to absolve police officers who might be wrongfully accused of infractions and that makes life easier for all involved.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force recently acquired 1000 body worn cameras to be deployed to different sections of the force. 1000 Is still way shy of the mark because the overall requirement is for somewhere in the region of 8000. It is going to take some doing to get there but with perseverance and will, it can be done.

The receipt of the cameras is music to the ears of Indecom Commissioner Hugh Faulkner who has been beating the drum for years now.

He said: “Indecom welcomes reports that the police have acquired these cameras. A special report entitled Special Operations which was published in October 2025 showed that for the first seven moths of 2025, 97 persons were killed in police planned operations. This number represented 51 percent of the 190 fatalities for the same period. In any cases we only have the police’s account of the incidents and in others we have totally differing views from witnesses. Body worn cameras are thus necessary as an inescapable tool of law enforcement conduct. Body worn cameras could play a critical role in evidencing circumstances leading to a fatal confrontation and the confrontation itself. Body worn cameras offer no inhibition to the execution of law enforcement duties.”

Faulkner is right but one gets the impression that individual police officers and even some in the leadership ranks are opposed to the use of body worn cameras. Officers should be mandated. It is good that the police are making major dents in murders but this must be done lawfully or we are headed for a society of chaos and confusion.

What is most disconcerting about the whole thing is that the delay in acquiring the cameras was not for a lack funding. It’s this gorilla that exists in the corporate world called procurement. It is stifling the government’s efforts to be able to execute many of its plans in order to implement policies. Just look at the shameful situation that pertains in the justice system with dilapidated facilities that are not being attended to while millions of dollars earmarked for improvements are returned to the consolidated fund every financial year. This is all down to roadblocks and hurdles in procurement.

It is rather frustrating but it is not good enough for the government to simply blame the procurement process. What are they doing about it? They must take responsibility. It requires a joint select committee of the parliament to sit together and examine the rules, iron out the kinks and remove or reduce the roadblocks and hurdles.

Sure, there must be checks and balances because people can’t be trusted, especially when it comes to expending government funds. Some fingers are a bit too sticky but our lawmakers, the honest ones, must be able to contrive a system in which accountability and compliance still stand but we can get things done at a faster pace.

Outfitting the operational arms of the force with body worn cameras is achievable but at this pace we won’t get there until the end of the decade, maybe.