Man rescued in Florida plane crash is accused of smuggling cocaine

A passenger on board the plane that crashed into the ocean off the coast of Florida earlier this week has been arrested on cocaine smuggling charges.

Jonathan Gardiner, one of the 11 Bahamian adults rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Air Force on Tuesday, was charged with one count of cocaine import conspiracy for allegedly smuggling cocaine since 2023, according to a federal complaint.

The complaint, which also refers to Gardiner as “Player,” alleges that he was carrying a brown paper bag containing $30,000 in Bahamian currency. The cash was labeled with the name of a Bahamian politician who was previously in connection with receiving a large shipment of cocaine from Colombia. Gardiner also had three phones on him when the plane went down this week.

A U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II, HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter and Pararescuemen assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing conduct rescue operations for survivors of a downed civilian aircraft off the coast of Melbourne, Fla., May 12.via U.S. Air Force Reserve Command

The twin-engine turboprop airplane departed from Marsh Harbor, Bahamas, bound for Freeport on Tuesday, and crashed approximately 80 miles off the coast of Melbourne, Florida. All 11 passengers and the pilot survived and were rescued by an Air Force helicopter that was airborne in the area.

One passenger told reporters at a press conference earlier this week that the survivors were stranded at sea for roughly five hours. Some were treated for injuries, but all remain in stable condition or have since been discharged from medical care.