The narco-profits released by the magistrate, and under my control were distributed as follows:

First, The lion's share went into Swiss accounts that some of the clients had previously set up in anticipation of something adverse happening in the Caribbean tax havens, for one of them had overheard a conversation on Anguilla relating to how disliked our resident offshore lawyer was by the locals. In an overabundance of caution, several of them had traveled to Europe, and opened accounts in Switzerland.

The basis for the discontent seems to have had something to do with his obtaining a prime piece of real estate in East End at the expense of an old-line family, and under suspicious circumstances. He erected a large home on the site. I  had been there to visit once, and it had a commanding view of the Atlantic; next stop was Europe, for Anguilla was as far east as one could go in the East Caribbean.

Our lawyer practised law in two places, Anguilla & St. Kitts, but he was a Kittitian. Whether this had anything to do with the distrust I never ascertained, but it was enough for my clients. For the record, the Swiss accounts were established against my advice and counsel, for I knew that things could go against the clients in Switzerland. My instinct was, of course. correct. In an strange course of events, I was years later to assist US and Swiss  law enforcement in seizing those same funds that I had expressly warned against placing there.

Second, smaller sums were "smurfed," or hand-carried into the US, via several individuals making multiple trips, each carefully carrying less than the ceiling figure of $10,000. Some of the clients took delivery in St. Maarten, and moved the cash inbound using their own people and organisation.

Third, I employed the "swap," a tactic you use when you have clients who have funds overseas, and need it here for some reason, and other unrelated clients who have funds in the US, who want them offshore. If there is an amount or amounts that these two organisations have in common, you broker a marriage of sorts. My main clients wanted the funds here, and these new clients needed offshore cheques for US-based funds.

The interesting thing us that no funds actually cross international borders. It actually reminds me of the give-and-take symbiotic relationship present in the Black Market Peso Exchange, where each party depends on the other to complete the cycle. In the swap, the intermediary (myself) gave the onshore cash to the party who had offshore funds. the onshore client received cheques drawn on the offshore tax haven account.   

Did I mention that I had some of my personal funds in that offshore bank? Well, when they came out with the drug traffickers' money, I dumped it into a safe deposit box at a hotel in St. Maarten, and later had it  hand-carried in, in legal amounts, when and as needed.

Needless to say. the successful recovery of millions of dollars in narco-profits resulted in my being targeted as the money launderer for many Miami drug smugglers, for those offshore corporate records seized by law enforcement all showed me as the lawyer who had ordered their formation. Things were about to get very hot for me.

Next Week: When you have a bull's eye painted on your chest, keep moving at all times.