TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands - A Caribbean court judge has ruled against a U.S. request to extradite five men on drug trafficking charges but says they will stand trial in the British Virgin Islands.

The men were arrested after a joint U.S.-British Virgin Islands operation in which authorities seized more than 250 kilograms (551 pounds) of cocaine on a speedboat near Tortola in September 2010.

A U.S. indictment charged the men along with eight other people accused of trafficking drugs to the United States.

But Judge Albert Redhead of the Eastern Caribbean court ruled Monday there wasn't enough evidence to prove the men knew that the cocaine was destined for the U.S. He said the suspects can be tried at home on drug charges.