A Jamaican woman has been convicted by a federal jury in Baltimore, United States, on murder, kidnapping and racketeering charges, after a three-year investigation into a drug smuggling ring that employed brutal enforcers.

She is Jean Brown, 43, who is described as a vicious drug kingpin.

According to a report on www.washingtontimes.com, Brown was found guilty on Wednesday on murder and racketeering charges in connection with a conspiracy to distribute marijuana in five US states and Jamaica.

The Jamaican was identified as one of the leaders of the Brown Organisation, a criminal gang whose members distributed drugs in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Arizona, California and Jamaica.

However, Brown's co-defendant 45-year-old Gabriel Campa-Mayen of Tijuana, Mexico, was acquitted of all charges.

The conviction of the Jamaican is a victory for Homeland Security Investigations special agents, who since 2009 have been investigating the drug trafficking organisation.

Brown faces a maximum of life in prison for the drug conspiracy, for kidnapping in aid of racketeering and for murder in aid of racketeering and a maximum of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.

No sentencing date was announced in the story.