Coast Guard Reopens St. Croix’s Seaports; Both Airports Open

Tradewinds staff
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Coast Guard cutter Hamilton. (U.S. Coast Guard photo) Four South Americans Face Cocaine Charges in USVI Federal Court Four South American men appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and were ordered held pending trial on charges of conspiracy to possess and possession of a controlled substance on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. The four defendants were identified as Freddy Montano Paz, 29; Calixto Tumbaco, 41; Mariano Abregon, 42; and Hector Hernandez Saucedo, 48. The charging information alleges that the four were on board a semi-submercible vessel that was intercepted by the U.S Coast Guard cutter Hamilton while on routine patrol. The Coast Guardsmen first sighted the semi-submercible vessel on May 10, approximately 250 nautical miles northwest of Esmeraldes, Ecuador. The vessel did not display any indicia indicating its nationality. After being detected, the four occupants— two Columbian nationals, one Ecuadorian national, and one Mexican national – began tossing the bales of suspected narcotics from their vessel. The USCG disabled the semi-submersible vessel, and successfully seized 40 bales of suspected narcotics, including bales that were tossed overboard. The 40 recovered bales contained approximately 1,535 kilograms of a white powdery substance that field tested positive for cocaine. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Agency, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith.
U.S. Coast Guard cutter Hamilton. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The U.S. Coast Guard has re-opened the seaports in St. Croix and set all the seaports in the U.S. Virgin Islands (including the St. Thomas-St. John District) and Puerto Rico at Port Condition X-Ray. The Coast Guard has set the ports at Condition X-Ray due to the possibility that Tropical Storm Dorian may bring inclement weather to the territory with sustained gale force winds greater than 39 mph that may arrive at the area within 48 hours.

During Port Condition X-RAY port facilities are open to all commercial traffic and all cargo transfer operations at Coast Guard regulated facilities may continue while X-RAY remains in effect. The V.I. Port Authority reminds all mariners to adhere to the directives of the U.S. Coast Guard and to exercise safety precautions while traveling on the sea as the storm passes.

Both the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas and the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix are open. VIPA advises travelers to contact their airlines directly for flight information.