CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A federal grand jury has returned a two-count Indictment charging three men with trying to smuggle 165 pounds of cocaine into St. Thomas, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.
Pedro Juan Ramos-Ramirez, 27, Gerald Albert Cruz, 26, and Johnny Arias-Rodriguez, 27, all of Puerto Rico, are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, U.S. Attorney Smith said.
According to court documents, on December 29, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air Marine Operations (AMO) officers interdicted a “go-fast” vessel operating without navigational lights heading away from the northwestern coast of St. Thomas.
While in pursuit of the go-fast vessel, CBP officers noticed two occupants of the vessel throwing what appeared to be black duffel bags into the ocean. CBP officers then attempted to stop the vessel and was forced to disable the engines of the vessel after it failed to comply.
The captain and two crew members were detained by CBP, and the duffel bags were recovered from the ocean. The duffel bags contained 73 bricks of cocaine that weighed approximately 75 kilograms (165 pounds).
This investigation is being conducted by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
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