Jonathan Eric Gardiner, a Bahamian national and convicted felon, was charged with federal drug importation and conspiracy offenses in the Northern District of Georgia, according to an indictment unsealed on Aug. 5. U.S. officials arrested Gardiner after rescuing him from the Atlantic Ocean following a plane crash near Florida on May 14.
“Operating from The Bahamas, Gardiner allegedly coordinated the delivery of massive quantities of cocaine into the Northern District of Georgia and elsewhere,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Because of the quick action and dedication of federal law enforcement in Atlanta’s Homeland Security Task Force, this recidivist felon, alleged high-level drug trafficker, and priority target will be held accountable for his crimes.”
Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Field Division, said: “International cocaine trafficking fuels addiction, violence, and organized criminal activity that impacts communities across the United States. DEA remains steadfast in working alongside our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those charged with bringing dangerous drugs into our country.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg and other publicly available information, from approximately December 2022 to May 2026, Gardiner allegedly supplied large quantities of cocaine—sometimes more than 2,000 kilograms at a time—to drug trafficking organizations operating in metro Atlanta and beyond. More than twenty alleged members of this organization were previously charged; thirteen have pleaded guilty.
Gardiner was among eleven people traveling by private plane when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean; he was found with $30,000 in Bahamian currency during his rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard. Nearly two decades earlier, he had been convicted for conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States.
A grand jury returned an indictment against Gardiner on June 9 for conspiracy to import a controlled substance as well as conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute such substances; he is currently held by U.S. Marshals Service awaiting trial on additional charges in New York.
The case is being investigated by multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, United States Coast Guard and others under guidance from Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership targeting criminal cartels and transnational organizations through interagency collaboration established by Executive Order 14159.
Theodore S. Hertzberg served as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, which acts as principal federal law enforcement agency serving approximately 7.5 million residents across north Georgia mountains through metro Atlanta suburbs up to borders with Alabama and Carolinas while prioritizing prosecution against threats such as terrorism or human trafficking, according to its official website. The office also enforces federal laws both criminally and civilly while coordinating cases that may have nationwide or international impact.