Jared Kushner’s Albanian Land Deal Faces Backlash Over $120 Million Paid to Cocaine Trafficking Suspect
Jared Kushner’s vacation development project in Albania has become embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that over $120 million was paid to a landowner suspected of cocaine trafficking. The land in question is at the center of a long-standing ownership dispute in the village of Zvernec, where residents claim the land belongs to the community and have urged Kushner’s development group to halt plans. Despite these protests, Kushner’s backed development group proceeded with the purchase earlier this year, paying more than $240 million to private landowners, including the suspect, whose funds have since been frozen by Albanian prosecutors.
The suspect, Shehu, a 60-year-old currently residing in Miami, has a turbulent history involving alleged ties to the Italian mafia and a violent past in Albania. After fleeing Albania in 1999 following a shootout with a rival gang, he resurfaced in Miami where he was granted asylum. Local villagers discovered in the 2000s that Shehu had acquired control over their ancestral lands using forged Ottoman-era documents, a fact confirmed by Albania’s Supreme Court which ruled the key land registration documents were falsified and mistranslated. Nevertheless, prolonged legal delays allowed Shehu to maintain possession of the land.
This controversy follows Kushner’s failed development attempt in Serbia, where he signed a no-bid deal with the government to develop state-owned land in central Belgrade. That project collapsed after public protests and a government minister’s indictment, leading Kushner to withdraw in December. In Albania, the situation has escalated further with daily protests known as the “Flamingo Revolution” sparked by footage showing private security guards employed by Kushner’s group assaulting a local resident. These protests have lasted over two months in Tirana, reflecting widespread public opposition to the project.
Residents have expressed deep concern over being caught in nearly two decades of legal disputes and have appealed directly to Kushner to reconsider. The ongoing unrest and legal complications highlight the challenges Kushner faces in his international real estate ventures amid allegations of corruption and criminal associations.
