Jamaica prime minister OKs extradition of alleged drug king pin Christopher (Dudus) Coke

Abd/AP

Police gain control of Tivoli Gardens neighborhood after gun battles broke out during the hunt for Christopher (Dudus) Coke.

AP

Alleged drug king pin Christopher (Dudus) Coke.

After years of opposition and recent pressure from the Obama administration, Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding last week reversed his stance and okayed the extradition of alleged drug king pin Christopher (Dudus) Coke to stand trial in New York.

The failed attempt to take Coke into custody resulted in a state of emergency, gun battles and scores of deaths, as of late last week.

Coke was indicted in Manhattan in 2007 for operating a drug ring and running guns between New York and Jamaica.

Late last week, a top official reported that police regained control of Coke's Tivoli Gardens neighborhood, where his supporters battled with Jamaican Army personnel and police.

But the damage has already been done - to the neighborhood and the reputation of the Golding administration.

The prime minister may have to deal with a political backlash from constituents loyal to Coke. Golding, who heads the ruling Jamaica Labor Party, also admitted he used a U.S. law firm to lobby Washington, to drop the call for Coke's extradition.

And there remains a possibility the opposition People's National Party will step into the discourse against the Golding administration. So far, PNP and JLP leaders have praised the efforts of law enforcement and called for calm in the midst of the violence.