TORTOLA RESIDENT FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AMONG FIVE CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING COCAINE IN THE USVI

A Dominican Republic man, who has been residing in the BVI, is among 5 persons held by Federal agents on Wednesday night, November 18, 2020, for alleged drug smuggling in the US Virgin Islands (USVI). 

According to the Virgin Islands Daily News on November 21, 2020, Federal agents intercepted a vessel carrying 433 pounds of cocaine in duffel bags off St Thomas around 9:30pm on Wednesday night, and charged the five men aboard with drug smuggling, according to documents filed in US District Court.

Jorge Romero-Amaro, Giovanni Graciani, Hector Rivera, Ruben Reyes, and Pedro Sayan were charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

The boat was reportedly heading from St Thomas to Puerto Rico.

According to the USVI publication, agents read the five men their rights, and Mr Reyes waived his right to remain silent and said he travelled illegally from Tortola in the [British] Virgin Islands to St Thomas by boat.

It said that “Reyes, a native of the Dominican Republic, further stated that he was trying to get to Puerto Rico, and that he paid $500 to a boat captain in Tortola to transport him to St John.”

Reyes told agents that he didn’t know the duffle bags were aboard when he boarded the vessel bound for Puerto Rico, and he was supposed to pay the captain $1,000 on his arrival.

All five men made their initial appearance on Friday, November 20, 2020, before Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller, who scheduled their preliminary examinations and detention hearings for November 25, 2020.