ARREST OF DOMINICA EX-MINISTER OF TOURISM ON MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES; ARE MORE ARRESTS COMING?

ROBERT TONGUE, accused cryptolaunderer

The reported arrest yesterday, of ROBERT T.L. TONGUE, a prominent businessman from the Commonwealth of Dominica, who is both a former Senator and ex-Minister of Tourism and Culture (2014-2019), on charges of money laundering, has raised serious concerns on the part of Dominicans; are more arrests forthcoming? Dominicans, who are now fully aware that there are Cooperating Individuals (CIs) in the Caribbean, know to be supplying incriminating evidence against present and former Dominican government officials, from our recent article

COOPERATION INVOLVING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN ANTIGUA AND DOMINICA, COMING FROM NEW SOURCES, FURTHER EXPOSES MONEY LAUNDERING OPERATIONS THERE

https://rijock.blogspot.com/2026/07/cooperation-involving-criminal-activity.html

are wondering aloud and on radio broadcasts who will be named next.

Tongue allegedly employed cryptocurrency transactions to transfer funds for criminal elements, and collected what are said to be huge fees for his money laundering services. Research reveals TUNER LIFESTYLE INC. , TONGUE FINANCIAL SERVICES and FREIGHTMASTER as a corporate entities Tongue is affiliated with. He also claims to be the Coordinator of the Dominican Government Digital Economy Unit. When additional details about the pending case are available, we shall update our readers accordingly. We are especially interested in Tongue's connection to Dominica's crypto sector, some of which has been linked to organized crime.

Readers who have not read the above-mentioned article are urged to review it, in order to further understand why Dominicans fear additional arrests, coming at a time when the Commonwealth faces visa restrictions from the United States, the imminent loss of its CBI economic passport program, and further American sanctions connected to its secret relationship with Communist China that the United States considers a direct National Security threat.

WILL ANTIGUA FAIL TO MEET THE EU SEPTEMBER 2026 INTERIM REQUIREMENTS, AND LOSE VISA-FREE ACCESS THIS YEAR?

You may have been surprised at the counter-demands, made by Antigua's Prime Minister, GASTON BROWNE, in response to the European Union's policy notification to all five EC CBI economic passport-issuing states, but things may get much, much worse very quickly. The EU's required interim measures include that, by this September (meaning 2026, not 2028), the five passport selling jurisdictions must have what is described as "reinforced applicant vetting and the total exclusion of individuals on EU sanctions."

For you non-bankers, this means Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) must be in place in September, and this means on the level of Banking Best Practices in Europe and North America. Given that applicants for Antigua CIP are known to include individuals from countries with non-latin alphabets, such as China, Russia, Korea and nations using Arabic and Persian scripts, it is expected that Antigua's EDD staff will have the capability to not only translate, but transliterate, client information as well as positively confirm identities. Frankly, I have my doubts that this level of inquiry has even been in place in Antigua.  I also know that the country's leadership actively ignored unverifiable applicants for the sake of income,.

Therefore, if and when this deficiency surfaces, will the EU then terminate visa-free privileges for Antiguan passport holders in 2026? Given Browne's arrogant pushback, and the hardline position of EU leadership, there is a strong chance of this happening. We will be watching; should Antigua's CIP program fall short on EDD, look for immediate, and possibly harsh, action by an EU long since tired of the problems that CBI has brought into Europe.

COOPERATION INVOLVING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN ANTIGUA AND DOMINICA, COMING FROM NEW SOURCES, FURTHER EXPOSES MONEY LAUNDERING OPERATIONS THERE

                                

As the saying goes, there's no honor among thieves. We are advised that substantial assistance, from parties providing first-hand evidence regarding criminal operations in Antigua & Dominica, is being rendered to American law enforcement agencies, coming from sources described as extremely close to the leaders of both island states. This information has reportedly been confidentially disclosed, to prevent action being taken against the sources themselves. Whether any grant of immunity, or other arrangement has been extended we cannot say, as no details have been provided.

While we cannot disclose precisely the origin of this new cooperation, please rest assured the general subject matter has been confirmed, meaning that money laundering operations, which have facilitated the transit and cleaning of the proceeds of crime, are known to be the subject matter of this evidence.

Antigua and Dominica are already painfully exposed to the probability that the Maduro and Saab Moran cases, pending in the United States, will end with cooperating defendants disclosing the prominent role that two offshore banks in Antigua, one in Dominica,,and local Antiguan indigenous financial institutions, GLOBAL BANK OF COMMERCE and CARIBBEAN UNION BANK, all played in the movement of illicit funds from Maduro's drug trafficking network. This new information simply adds to the volume of incriminating evidence available to U.S. law enforcement agencies.

HOW FAR WILL LIABILITY EXTEND IN THE HAMILTON BANK LITIGATION?

Serious questions are reportedly being raised by unhappy investors, all of whom made seven or eight figure deposits in Nevis' Hamilton Reserve Bank, and now face delays and what they consider to be unusual dilatory interference with making routine withdrawals, as to how to proceed to enforce their rights, and even collect damages.

Notwithstanding that there is what appears to be a valid Choice of Law provision in their depositor agreements, you can expect that their counsel will explore alternative solutions, seeking to find courts which will take jurisdiction over their claims. Whether they will be successful only time will tell. What constitutes a court of competent jurisdiction remains an open question.

We also have seen victims choose to go after the Saint Kitts and Nevis regulatory agency, Nevis itself, as well as ministers and law enforcement agencies they deem responsible, either through negligence, failure to monitor and control, or even more serious theories. Also, will the court find individuals personally liable for bank actions they deem to be actionable?

All these issues, and Nevis' future as a reputable and trustworthy offshore financial center, are on the table; we will be closely following all the subsequent and already pending litigation, and you can expect regular updates; stay tuned.

WILL WE SEE NOW CBI BUYERS' REMORSE, RESULTING IN LITIGATION, SINCE THE EU ORDERED AN END TO CARIBBEAN PASSPORT SALES BY 2028 AS A CONDITION OF FUTURE ADMITTANCE TO EUROPE

The five EC economic passport-issuing states

Now that the investment migration industry has gotten over the initial shock of learning that its favorite sales item, Caribbean citizenships with visa-free EU access, must disappear entirely in 2028, what will their affluent customers who purchased these soon-to-be-useless-for-Europe identity documents do about their situation?

Will they order their principal law firms to bring suits against the sales consultancy that sold them the six figure investment, and under what theories of liability? Will they also find a way to target the governments that failed to timely reform their citizenship programs, notwithstanding the laws on sovereign immunity?

I am certainly not qualified to answer these questions and analyze these complex issues, but consider this: when Portugal abruptly changed the game with time necessary to secure citizenship in its popular program, investors promptly banded together, and took steps to move, as a group, against these untoward developments. I fully expect to see pushbacks against those entities which investors believe have wronged them, in the coming months, resulting in the overnight closure of CBI consultancies, especially in such unregulated jurisdictions as Dubai, with more after June 2028, when it all must end for the Caribbean economic passport programs; Watch for it.

FACING A SIGNIFICANT REVENUE LOSS WHEN SAINT KITTS CBI GRINDS TO A HALT, NEVIS' PREMIER MARK BRANTLEY MUST REFORM ITS DODGY OFFSHORE FINANCIAL CENTER OR ELSE FACE A COLOSSAL BUDGETARY SHORTFALL

Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister TERRANCE DREW may have chosen not to respond to last month's letter from the European Union, requiring that his country's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) passport sales program be closed within two years, but he knows that it represents a sea change in the financial affairs of the two island federation, as well as for the entire group of five EC passport-issuing states

That life-altering event, total loss of all CBI revenue,  has perhaps the greatest impact in Nevis, whose government budget suffered for years, when Federation leadership in Basseterre doled out an unequal 7.2 per cent of net income to its local government, whilst retaining the vast majority to Kittitian recipients. Although it was later adjusted to a more equitable 25%, more recent revenues sharply declined, due to a number of factors, including but not limited to allegations of fraud, money laundering and corruption. 

Nevis, as we have shown, has historically received the short end of the stick, and now, with the EU action, that needed revenue stream will completely disappear. This untoward development leave the government of Premier MARK BRANTLEY in a difficult situation, which has been made even more tenuous, revenue-wise, by a major unfolding scandal in the island's nascent offshore financial center, especially banking. 

NEVIS, WHERE THE OFFSHORE BANKS ARE HAPPY TO ACCEPT YOUR DEPOSITS; THEY JUST WON'T GIVE THEM BACK. WILL PREMIER BRANTLEY NOW BE FORCED TO RESIGN FOR THIS SCANDAL?

Premier Brantley, who is said to have been instrumental in assisting with beleaguered local Hamilton Reserve Bank secure its license, must now find a way to satisfy unhappy depositors at two offshore banks, while insuring that those financial institutions stay solvent, and restore the reputation of the island as an offshore financial center that investors will continue to flock to for services. Given that Nevis will experience  a serious budgetary shortfall, it is up to the premier, who has designs on the federation's top office, to keep the offshore clients coming, lest Nevis be unable to meet its payroll, and be forced to layoff government workers. What will he do?

WILL EUROPE IMPOSE SANCTIONS UPON ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, AFTER ITS PRIME MINISTER ARROGANTLY DEMANDS FUNDING AND GRANTS TO REPLACE CIP REVENUE?

In what appears to be a poor attempt at extortion, being made by Antigua's Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE, against the European Union, the Government of Antigua has taken the position that, unless the EU replacement funding for the current CIO income, (which is scheduled to disappear in 2028), with loans and grants, it will not terminate its problematic economic passport sales program. The EU has warned that, unless CIP is terminated, Antigua's Schengen access to its European Members will be cancelled.

Observers of the past actions of the EU fear that, if Browne's public statements, demanding funding for Antigua, to take the place of CIP income, which is used to pay a large portion of a budget swollen with unnecessary and nonfunctional staff positions, the EU will sanction Antigua, resulting in the same situation that currently exists for its passport holders in the United States.

An untenable situation, where Antiguans can neither travel to the United States nor the European Union after June 2028, could very well occur, interfering not only with most of their leisure travel, but necessary student and business visas, for a nation that imports most of its consumer goods, and sends its best and brightest young to universities abroad. Furthermore, will the cost of living increase there as a result, and could its critical tourism sector suffer a substantial decrease in visitors ?

The local economy could plunge into a depressed state, all due to a governmental position that replacement funding was the EU's obligation if it terminated CIP. Are there no reasonable leaders in St. John's, or will Antigua become isolated, due to its leader's posturing in favor of a discredited passport sales program? We hope new leadership, making better choices, finds a way to bring Antigua out of it current nationalistic fever, into the realities of today. CIP is dying, Gaston, for many reasons; move on.

CHINA WON BIG IN THE CBI COUNTRIES THIS WEEK

The recent meeting of OECS member states in Saint Lucia demonstrates just how disconnected from reality these elected leaders are from what is happening in the world. Are they not paying attention to the impact of the news? At a time when the Western Hemisphere has become a major geopolitical battleground between China and the United States—with the perpetual war in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict involving Iran, and the European Union's no-nonsense notification that Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs must end by 2028, with visa-free access potentially at risk even earlier for noncompliance or dilatory response—the main focus of these leaders was the unimportant reappointment of Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett! Focusing solely on internal procedure, whilst the world, especially the Caribbean, faces serious challenges shows a total lack of leadership in these troubled times. Where was their response to the increasing and unique dangers that the Eastern Caribbean states face in 2026? The Caribbean is on fire, and the OECS is clueless.

Meanwhile, China's influence in the region has increased geometrically; Chinese bad actors, facilitated by corrupt Caribbean leaders, helped reshape the Caribbean CBI market through aggressive pricing and intense competition. It is painfully obvious that weak oversight, obvious and systemic fraud, and the actions of corrupt Caribbean politicians severely and permanently damaged the long-term credibility of these programs, to the point where they cannot recover. China has benefitted immensely from the massive, organized fraud it perpetrated through the illegally discounted sales program its captive companies operated on a global basis. Now, as CBI revenues will continue to decline, due to this new EU termination timeline, China will now conveniently be in a position to offer financing and loans to governments already facing significant domestic fiscal pressure This will further reinforce their already diminished ability to decline more offered capital, which of course comes with permanent strings that China can pull at any time, and definitely will. China's leverage has substantially increased, and will continue to do so.

The truth is that an opportunistic China will end up financing Caribbean governments after benefiting from a system that many believe was undermined by years of inadequate oversight and political corruption, with catastrophic consequences. Congratulations to the corrupt Caribbean leaders; however, the price will not be paid by them. It will be paid by their citizens, and they will start to feel China's knee on their necks, sooner rather than later.

GASTON BROWNE SENDS ANTIGUA ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE EU AND USA; WILL ANTIGUANS FIDDLE WHILST ST. JOHN'S WEAK ECONOMY CRASHES AND BURNS?

No sooner did the head of the EUROPEAN COMMISSION notify Antigua that it had but two years to dismantle its Citizenship by Investment (CIP) program, when Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE publicly stated that it would continue. Does he not see that such a reaction means the potential loss of Schengen Zone privileges for all Antiguans? Next, he flipped his nose at the United States, but confirming that China will fund $100m for new residential construction. It sound like he simply doesn't care if Antiguans will ever have their US visa restrictions lifted.

Does Gaston have visions of being the next Fidel Castro, flaunting his relationship with Chinese and Cuban dictators, while President Trump makes a July 4th speech attacking communism in the Western Hemisphere? Is he taking Antigua down the Garden path that resulted in the Grenada invasion, or the equivalent in sanctions which could destroy Antigua's fragile, tourist-centric economy? Either way, do Antiguans want the same economic nightmare that Cubans now "enjoy" since 1959?

A Dark Tomorrow is coming for them, ready or not, since they do not have the spine to turn Browne, and his ABLP Merry Men of Corruption, out of office, one way or the other. Banish Antigua's version of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, or face dire consequences.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE CBI CARIBBEAN, NOW THAT THE MUSIC'S OVER?

As the song my generation listened to goes, "When's the Music's Over, Turn Out the Lights." Since the golden goose cash cow that is the Citizenship by Investment (CBI or CIP) scheme that five Eastern Caribbean states have been operating will, under EU orders, cease to exist in two years, all that "easy money" they have been using to fund their bloated, dysfunctional economies will screech to a halt, forcing their leaders to actually work at developing jobs, and creating a true middle class.

Whether they succeed may depend upon if they can unseat their sitting Labour party leaders, all fat & happy with the Proceeds of Crime, gained through their participation in rogue CBI programs infected with money laundering, fraud and corruption, is another story, for many have been routinely reelected, time and again, using CBI money to buy elections. I leave them to their fate, as they have been repeatedly warned that their leaders were not advancing their economies, and just bribing their way into staying in office. Whether they indict them, however, for betraying their constituents I have my doubts, but time will tell.

Will Europe, and to a lesser extent, a critical United States government angry over their love affair with autocratic China, replace the East Money with loans and grants? We fear not, to the extent necessary to retain jobs and necessary imports, and therefore ask whither a Caribbean about to have zero income can survive. Watch this space, as we cover unfolding developments, in the runup to 2028, when it all grinds to a stop with the CBI merry-go-round.

EUROPE ORDERS THE FIVE EASTERN CARIBBEAN STATES WITH PASSPORT SALES PROGRAMS TO TERMINATE THEM BY 2028

After decades of enduring the entry of money launderers, fraudsters, corrupt PEPs, terrorist financiers, and all the other white collar criminals, who gained admittance by virtue of visa-free entry, the European Union has spoken. By notices sent to the governments of ST. KITTS & NEVIS, ANTIGUA and BARBUDA, THE COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA, ST. LUCIA and GRENADA, the European Commission has given these Caribbean states until 2028 to terminate their CBI/CIP programs. I knew this day would come, and have repeatedly warned both the financial community abroad, as well as the voters of the Caribbean Community, that government-sanctioned abuses would eventually result in pushback. I will spare you the details; suffice it to say that it is the beginning of the end for these programs, and the government officials who abused them.

Will we now see criminal charges filed, against those who perverted CBI for personal and political gain, and which countries will file them? Watch and learn, ladies and gentlemen.

THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK IN SAINT LUCIA

For decades St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP) and United Workers Party (UWP) have both engaged in vote buying with public funds, more recently using social welfare money contributed by the country's Citizenship by Investment (CIP) program. Both political parties have repeatedly deceived the voting public by making unfulfilled promises of better economic, social, and security conditions for the population. More disturbingly, once either party achieved power, and was installed in office, they have utilized the crooked and incompetent Royal St. Lucia Police force as their henchmen, to further their vindictive their respective revenge, greed, and to  achieve shady goals.

The unfolding scandal involving the arrest of Saint Lucia Housing Minister RICHARD FREDERICK, who allegedly wrote thousands of dollars of checks drawn on a government social services agency account, from funds improperly forwarded without specific designation of use, and subsequently spent without any audit or supervision whatsoever, should not come as no surprise to external intelligence and law enforcement agencies with documented evidence of this island nation's political elite.

Assuming Richard Frederick engaged in the use of public funds for sexual services, as has been alleged, it is only fair and prudent for the Office of Prime Minster Phillip J. Pierre to order a comprehensive investigation into those high-ranking members of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force historically involved in sex trafficking, guns, and drug trafficking. Foreign Intelligence agencies possess electronic evidence and covert HUMIT intelligence of high-ranking members of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force engaging and supporting a sex traffic network out of the Dominican Republic into Martinque, then transporting the victims via go-fast boats to safe houses at the north end of the island of St. Lucia. The same corrupt members of law enforcement in St. Lucia havwe been photographed on numerous occasions entering and leaving the same three safe houses for the purpose of receiving free sexual services.

Remember that Oliver Gobat British citizen was shot and killed at Cap Estate in 2014, in the north end of the island. To date, police Chief Verne Garde has refused to arrest and prosecute the known murderer, who has been guaranteed protection by Garde and his corrupt gang of officers.

To better understand how both political parties have and will continue to uses Richard Frederick as their whipping boy, fall guy or boogie man, follow me here; when the Phillip J Pierre/Verne Garde gang of corrupt goons run out of false accusations against Richard Frederick, rest assure they will pin the JFK assassination on him, just as the SLP has previously accused him of drug trafficking.  Some free advice to Richard Frederick: get out of Phillip J Pierre’s snake pit while you still have a voice, and legs to travel.

WHY IS THERE A NEWS BLACKOUT FROM GOVERNMENT REGARDING ANTIGUA'S NEW PRISON PROJECT?

Our sources inside Antigua government have disclosed that there is, at long, last, a prison project set for construction, to replace the vastly overcrowded His Majesty's Prison, which has been the subject of exposure by international human rights organizations. They have seen three dimensional architectural renderings in the office of the Prime Minister, but no public statement has been issued, and our repeated official inquiries have gone unanswered.

There is a reason for all this secrecy; we have been informed that the new prison will be built by a Chinese contractor, with a one hundred percent foreign (Chinese)crew. No Antiguan jobs will be created by the project, which is the reason that Prime Minister Gaston Browne is keeping the matter under wraps, with no date set for public release of the news.

Given the recent publicity regarding the issuance of a $100m Chinese loan for housing construction, we understand Browne's reluctance in releasing details of yet another Chinese-run construction project, which will also deny Antiguan contractors and workers gainful employment, as the news of yet another new building that will not help Antiguans might be met with public protests that the government-controlled local media will not be able to spin abroad. Photographs of unrest in Antigua will not play well with potential foreign investors, and Browne fears that, hence his failure to release to the people anything about the prison project.

We suggest that voters demand all details of the prison project be publicly released forthwith, and that expat Antiguan building contractors be allowed t o bid on its construction; they will surely employ local talent for the project. Additionally, any other pending projects due to be, or already, assigned to Chinese companies be subject to an immediate audit, to insure that local contractors have a change to bid upon, and share in, the work involved. Stop blocking Antiguans from sharing in the benefits of progress,

ANTIGUANS; THE ALFA NERO CASE IS NOT ONLY FAR FROM OVER, IT COULD RESULT IN THE EXPOSURE OF MASSIVE CORRUPTION IN YOUR GOVERNMENT, AND MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES AGAINST THE ENTIRE G. BROWNE CRIME FAMILY

While news stories out of what is essentially government-controlled media in Antigua and Barbuda paints the ALFA NERO scandal as essentially over, take a close look at the docket sheet in IN RE: GASTON BROWNE CORRUPTION DISCOVERY APPLICATION, Case No.: 25-cv-21129 (SDFL), the American 28USCA §1782 Discovery Petition, which is very much alive.

Does this look like a court proceedings that is not active and pending?I don't even have enough room on the page to show all 40 exhibits filed, in support of the Supplemental Motion for Discovery, filed when GASTON BROWNE, in a move that demonstrates the height of arrogance, and/or legal malpractice on behalf of his team of attorneys, who knew or should have known that §1782 Application, in one or more United States District Courts, would quickly follow any Defamation action filed against an of the Alfa Nero American attorneys in Antigua.

So, Antiguans, do NOT believe the government-supplied propaganda; the case is still active, and the Supplemental Motion appears to be well taken, and will most likely be granted. You are seeing ABLP Gaslighting, asking you to believe something other than the truth. Watch unfolding events here, and ignore your domestic media, which is dominated by corrupt elements in your sitting government.

HOW PASSPORT SALES REVENUE IS BEING USED IN THE CARIBBEAN STATES TO REPEATEDLY BUY ELECTIONS TO KEEP CORRUPT LABOUR PARTIES IN POWER

The unfolding scandal involving the arrest of Saint Lucia Housing Minister RICHARD FREDERICK, who wrote thousands of dollars of checks drawn on a government social services agency account, from funds improperly forwarded without specific designation of use, and subsequently without any audit or supervision whatsoever. The recipient of Frederick's repeated payments, which were given for sexual services, according to the allegations, also reportedly performed illegal services for the minister, including acting as his "mule" (courier) or bagman in international travel. Some of the funds come from international donors, which we alluded to in our last article about Frederick's arrest. Frederick may therefore also have criminal liability under the laws of the United Ststes, the UK and other jurisdictions. 

It is the unaudited movement of passport sales funds that is the curse of the Caribbean, as all five of the region's Labour  Parties, in not only St. Lucia, but also in St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada, divert economic passport revenue illegally into multi-thousand dollar bribes of poor lower class voters, each election time placing more cash into their hands than they have even seen in their lives, and repeatedly buying elections for Labour, and perpetuating one-party autocracies, indefinitely. 

We will be analyzing precisely how Saint Lucia's Prime Minister Philipe J. Pierre, and his ruling Labour Party, obscenely use passport sales money to remain in power in succeeding articles.