Reggae star Banton busted

On Dec. 8, a silver Land Rover with the tag "Jah One" pulled up to La Tropicana de Havana restaurant in Sarasota, according to federal and local law enforcement agents.

Mark Anthony Myrie, Ian Thomas and an unidentified woman got out of the sport utility vehicle. They were there, authorities say, to purchase several kilos of cocaine.

The episode was recorded, authorities say.

Myrie is better known as Buju Banton, a reggae star whose most recent visit to Tampa - like many of his performances - was the subject of protests by groups upset with his anti-gay lyrics. Banton, Thomas, 43, and another man, James Mack, 47, were later arrested after an investigation that Sarasota police liken to a movie.

Inside the restaurant, Banton and the woman met with a confidential source, according to a federal criminal complaint.

The confidential source told Banton and the woman to go to another location - which turned out to be an undercover warehouse - to continue negotiations for a large amount of cocaine, the complaint says.

There, they met with an undercover Sarasota police officer, who showed Banton and Thomas a vehicle that contained 20 kilos of cocaine in hidden compartments.

The next day, Thomas called the confidential source, trying to purchase 15 kilos of cocaine. They met at an Applebee's restaurant in Sarasota, where Thomas told the source his organization wanted to buy five kilos, the complaint says.

Shortly after 5 p.m., Thomas and the source met with Mack, who was sitting in a Honda sedan outside the restaurant. Thomas and the source then went back inside and continued negotiating.

About 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Thomas and Mack drove to the undercover warehouse, where they were arrested.

Banton, whose ninth CD - "Rasta Got Soul" - was released in April, was arrested in Miami. His record company did not respond to an e-mail requesting comment.

All three men are charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute.

Banton is being held in Miami with no bail set and is scheduled to have a first appearance in Miami later this week, according to Steve Cole, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tampa.