Malam Bacai Sanha Jr, the son of Guinea-Bissau’s late president, has been sentenced to over six years in prison by a US court for his role in an international heroin trafficking ring. The 52-year-old was found guilty of leading the illicit operation with the intention of funding a coup to seize power in his homeland.
Authorities revealed that Sanha Jr, known as “Bacaizinho” in Guinea-Bissau, orchestrated the drug trafficking scheme to amass funds for his aspirations to become president of Guinea-Bissau through a coup. His father, Malam Bacai Sanha, led the West African nation from 2009 until his death in 2012.
The trial exposed Sanha Jr’s involvement in a failed coup attempt in February 2022, which aimed to overthrow President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. Sanha Jr was extradited to the US from Tanzania in August 2022 after being apprehended there. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to illegally import drugs in September of the same year.
FBI agent Douglas Williams emphasized the significance of Sanha Jr’s actions, stating, “Malam Bacai Sanha Jr wasn’t any ordinary international drug trafficker.” Williams elaborated that Sanha Jr’s familial ties and political ambitions drove him to pursue drug trafficking as a means to finance his coup aspirations and establish a drug regime in Guinea-Bissau.
Following his imprisonment, there is a possibility that Sanha Jr could face deportation from the US as he is not an American citizen. Reports indicate that he confessed to his involvement in the failed 2022 coup attempt, which resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals, predominantly security personnel. Sanha Jr allegedly admitted to using drug proceeds to support the coup plotters.
Guinea-Bissau has long been notorious as a hub for drug trafficking, with cocaine from Latin America passing through the country en route to Europe. The nation’s status as a “narco-state” was established over a decade ago by the US and the UN due to its significant role in the global drug trade. Experts point out that drug traffickers wield substantial influence within the government, often financing political campaigns to safeguard their illicit activities.
