An American woman and her Jamaican husband, both wanted in the United States on fraud-related charges, have been arrested in Jamaica following a pre-dawn law enforcement operation in St James.

Police identified the suspects as 31-year-old Nicki Gibbs, a nurse technician from Bronx, New York, and her husband Swayne Barker, also known as “Black Boss”, of Red Dirt, Flankers in St James.

Authorities said the pair were taken into custody during a joint operation involving the Anti-Lottery Scamming Unit, the Jamaica Fugitive Apprehension Team and members of the St James Operational Support Team.

They are being held pending extradition proceedings to the United States.

Police said both are wanted by US authorities on fraud-related charges, though further details of the allegations were not immediately disclosed.

Head of the Fraud Squad and Financial Crimes Investigation Division, Deputy Superintendent Horace Forbes, said the arrests reflected ongoing cooperation between Jamaican authorities and international law enforcement agencies.

“These arrests are the culmination of ongoing collaboration between the Jamaica Constabulary Force and its international partners to track and apprehend fugitives seeking refuge within Jamaican borders,” Forbes said.

“Jamaica will never be a sanctuary for criminal activities,” he added.

The arrests come amid continued regional and international efforts to crack down on transnational fraud and lottery scamming networks.

Investigations are continuing.