Jamaican gang boss Christopher 'Dudus' Coke extradited to US

The once powerful Jamaican gang leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke was now extradited to US tonight immediately after a court hearing at which he expressed regret for the fighting that claimed scores of lives last month as he evaded capture.

Coke was flown to the US to face the trial for alleged drug and weapons trafficking. He faces a life sentence if convicted.

The leader of the Shower Posse gang, whom US officials allege is the head of a crime network that extends from the Jamaica to Europe and North America, said he was saddened by the more than 75 lives lost in the fighting, mostly in his Kingston stronghold of Tivoli Gardens, sparked by the attempt to arrest and extradite him.

"I take this decision for I believe it to be in the best interest of my family, and the community of western Kingston and, in particular,the people of Tivoli Gardens and above all Jamaica," he said. He said he expected to be acquitted in the US and to return to Jamaica.