CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A St. Thomas boat captain and four illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic were in federal court on Thursday to hear the charges against them.
Shawn A. Callwood, 36, of St. Thomas, Glenys Gruz-Calcano, 28, Anyi Paola Calcano, 19, Luis Alberto Pimentel Gautier, 42, and Rafael Morales-Osoria, 35, all of Dominican Republic, made their initial appearances before U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Gomez, after being charged in criminal complaints with alien smuggling and illegal re-entry into the United States, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
Judge Gomez detained all five people pending further proceedings.
According to the complaint, on May 9, 2018, the Marine Interdiction Agents (MIA) of the Air and Marine Operations (AMO) intercepted Callwood’s vessel in the U.S. territorial waters near St. John.
Callwood failed to yield to both lights and sirens directing him to stop, and a warning shot was fired across the bow of Callwood’s vessel.
Five undocumented illegal aliens, including Glenys Gruz-Calcano, Anyi Paola Calcano, Luis Alberto Pimentel Gautier, and Rafael Morales-Osoria, were discovered on board when the vessel came to a stop.
Luis Alberto Pimentel Gautier and Rafael Morales-Osoria both have been previously deported from the United
States pursuant to felony convictions.
Callwood is facing up to 10 years in prison for smuggling illegal aliens into the United States.
Luis Alberto Pimentel Gautier and Rafael Morales-Osoria both face up to 20 years in prison for illegal re-entry by an aggravated felon.
Shappert said that a criminal complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not in and of itself evidence of guilt.
“Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” she said.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO), the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anna Vlasova.