Former President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro and former Mayor of Budva placed on US blacklist

(Patria) - The US State Department has placed former President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro Vesna Medenica and former Mayor of Budva Milo Božović on its blacklist, banning them from entering the US due to involvement in corruption and drug trafficking.

In addition to them, as stated in a statement by the State Department, members of Božović's family, as well as Miloš and Marija Medenica - children of Vesna Medenica - have also been placed on the blacklist.

"The Department of State is publicly designating former Mayor of Budva and Member of Parliament Milo Božović and former President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro Vesna Medenica as generally ineligible for entry into the United States due to their involvement in significant corruption that facilitated narcotics trafficking," the State Department announced.

Božović, it is stated, abused his public office to support organized crime and international drug trafficking operations.

"On the other hand, Medenica abused her public office to support a criminal smuggling organization by revealing court information, mediating court decisions, and accepting bribes to distort judicial outcomes in exchange for money and real estate," the statement reads.

These decisions, the State Department emphasizes, confirm the commitment of the United States of America in the fight against illegal drug trafficking, transnational criminal organizations, and corruption that threatens the national security interests of the US in the Western Balkans and beyond.

"These public determinations by the Department of State are made pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as continued by the Further Continuing Appropriations Act.

The Department is also designating immediate family members of Božović - Dragana Božović, Balša Božović, and Pavle Božović, and immediate family members of Medenica - Miloš Medenica and Marija Medenica, as generally ineligible for entry into the United States," the statement adds.