CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A native of the Dominican Republic and a native of Venezuela admitted in federal court that they came to the United States illegally.
Juan Lorenzo Matias Peralta, 38, of Santo Domingo and Dionis Alexander Luis Gomez, 31, of Caracas, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Magistrate Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller to illegal entry offenses, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
Sentencing is set for December 3, 2018.
According, to court documents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) apprehended a vessel in the area of North Haulover Bay, St. John after agents observed that the vessel was operating with no lights.
After the boat was stopped, AMO agents observed five male individuals on board, including Peralta and Gomez.
Upon further investigation, agents concluded that Peralta and Gomez were not U.S. citizens, but were in fact nationals from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, respectively.
Peralta and Gomez did not have permission to enter the United States, and the area where the boat was apprehended, was not a designated port of entry.
Peralta and Gomez face a maximum sentence of six months and a $5,000 fine.
The case was investigated Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Unit (AMO).
It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte.
