DEA Raids Charter Airline Owned By Ex-Race Car Driver
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A joint investigation between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and Homeland Security brought investigators to the offices of World Jet in Fort Lauderdale Monday morning.
The DEA confirmed the Morning raid is part of a drug investigation, but wouldn't confirm details about what they were looking for at World Jet.
The company, World Jet, is a full service aircraft sales and charter flight operation based at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Reports say World Jet offers planes to carry South American drug shipments, according to CBS4's Joan Murray.
According to a DEA informant, World Jet owner Don Whittington is laundering money through the Spring Resort and Spa in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, in the southwestern part of the state. The resort is owned by members of his family, but a lawyer for the family denies all allegations against them.
Whittington and his brother are former race car drivers who are no strangers to the law. Both served prison time three decades ago on charges related to marijuana smuggling.
Local criminal defense attorney Mike Dutko was seen entering and leaving World Jet while investigators were on the scene, but declined to comment on why he was there.
"It is just a search warrant and no one has been arrested at this facility" said Mia Ro a DEA agent on scene. CBS 4 tried to reach Don Whittington at his Ft Lauderdale mansion off Las Olas, but no one answered the door
