While Donald Trump Jr. made an unannounced trip to the Balkans this week, DailyMail.com can reveal that his girlfriend Bettina Anderson was involved in a drug scandal that has led to her older brother being charged federally.
Don Jr. traveled to Serbia and Romania to deliver the message that his father would end Russia’s war in Ukraine. But it also offered him an escape from the obligations he had to his fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and from rumors of his affair with Palm Beach socialite Anderson.
But DailyMail.com has now learned that Anderson’s life as a shining example in the millionaire enclave was nearly derailed before it had even begun.
Anderson, who came to national attention for her flirtation with Don Jr., was a passenger on her brother’s private plane returning to the country in 2015.
Customs officials found psilocybin, or magic mushrooms, hidden in one of three cigarette packets on board, according to court documents exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.
Bettina Anderson’s glittering life as a Palm Beach socialite was nearly shattered when she was caught up in a drug bust that left her older brother Loy (left with Bettina and their brother Kent) facing federal charges.
Harry Loy Anderson III, now 47, was piloting the plane returning from a trip to the Bahamas and his younger sister Bettina, 37, (pictured with Kent at left) was one of three passengers on board
A photo obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com shows Don Jr. having brunch with 37-year-old Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson in mid-August – while his fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle is nowhere to be seen.
Harry Loy Anderson III, now 47, was piloting the plane returning from a flight to Eleuthera in the Bahamas. His younger sister Bettina, 37, was one of three passengers on board when a search of her brother’s bags revealed he had attempted to smuggle the banned substance into the country.
According to the criminal complaint: “On August 9, 2015, Harry Loy Anderson III, a licensed pilot, entered the United States Customs and Border Protection Private Aircraft facility at Palm Beach International Airport after piloting a private aircraft to West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County… from North Eluthra (sic), Bahamas.”
Loy, as he is known to his family, told officers he had nothing to declare, claimed he had presented all his luggage for inspection and denied having alcohol or tobacco on board.
The former president’s son, who began dating Guilfoyle shortly after splitting from first wife Vanessa Trump in 2018, was spotted kissing the model during the outing, according to witnesses.
Bettina Anderson is known for her good work in Palm Beach, but she was nearly caught up in a drug bust when her brother was arrested and given four years probation.
Bettina was named as a passenger in her brother’s attempt to change his bail
But the subsequent charge states: ‘A search of a brown leather bag… revealed three packets of cigarettes inside the brown bag. Two of the packets contained cigarettes.
‘The third package, however, contained a silver metallic lining containing what appeared to be psilocybin mushrooms (a Schedule 1 prohibited substance).
‘When asked about the mushrooms, … Anderson became very nervous and stated that they were not his; that he did not smoke or drink.’
Loy was indicted on three counts: importation and attempted importation of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance on board an aircraft arriving in the United States, and aiding and abetting
He was then asked if he had the narcotics for anyone else, ‘to which he replied in the negative’.
A field test showed that these were magic mushrooms.
Loy was arrested and read his Miranda rights. Officers then attempted to question him, but he “invoked his rights and would not speak to officers.”
Loy was indicted on three counts: importation and attempted importation of a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug on board an aircraft arriving in the United States, and aiding and abetting.
He was released on $250,000 bail.
The maximum penalty for the first and second charges is 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, three years to life in prison, and a $100 special assessment.
The government wanted to prevent Anderson from communicating with Loy after his arrest because she was a passenger on the plane, along with her brother-in-law Brad McPherson, who is married to her twin sister Kristina, a witness.
Loy’s attorneys opposed this, and Anderson, McPherson and friends filed statements arguing that this would be an undue burden, as the family was extremely close, living in close proximity and speaking to each other daily.
Loy on his plane with Kent to deliver water after Hurricane Irma in 2017
Loy posted this photo of a private jet in 2017. It’s unclear if this is the same plane involved in the drug bust
According to Anderson’s statement, it would be “painful” not to be able to talk to her brother.
It would also hamper the volunteer work both parties have done as founders of The Paradise Fund, a nonprofit that provides aid and works with local agencies, such as cleaning up after hurricanes in the Bahamas and domestically.
Eventually, they were allowed to communicate with Loy, on the condition that they would not discuss the matter.
Ultimately, Loy pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of one count of possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to four years’ probation. He was also forced to surrender his pilot’s license and fined $5,000.
He had to agree to random searches of his person and property by his probation officer.
In her affidavit, Bettina said it would be “extremely distressing” for her to be prevented from speaking to her brother and she vowed they would not discuss the matter.
As DailyMail.com exclusively revealed over the weekend, Bettina was spotted kissing Donald Trump Jr. and placing her hand on his thigh at the Honor Bar in Palm Beach on August 17, sparking speculation that the former president’s engagement to Kimberly Guilfoyle, 55, could be in trouble.
“They were definitely on a date,” a witness told us. “They weren’t actually kissing, but the kisses were romantic and you could tell they were intimate with each other.”
Another said: ‘She seemed completely in love with Don – and he with her.
“They looked completely relaxed. She was wearing a white shirt tied up to reveal her waist and bell-bottom pants. He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt.”
Don Jr. and Bettina even told their waiter that they were planning a trip together to Islamorada, a resort town in the Florida Keys.
Neither Don Jr. nor Anderson have said anything about their lunch together, but after our exclusive on Sunday, Guilfoyle did post photos of herself giving her fiancé a kiss on the cheek during a campaign rally on Saturday.
