Four Traffickers Handed Federal Prison Terms After Packing 70+ Kilos of Marijuana into Checked Airline Suitcases at Cyril E. King Airport

By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press News Reporter

ST. THOMAS — Four men have been sentenced to federal prison terms after attempting to smuggle more than 70 kilograms of marijuana through the Cyril E. King Airport in checked luggage, United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced Friday.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy handed down the sentences this week following a joint multi-agency narcotics investigation.

According to federal court documents, the smuggling plot was dismantled on November 27, 2025, when the four defendants arrived at the St. Thomas airport on a commercial flight originating from San Francisco, California. During a routine inspection of passenger baggage, law enforcement officers detected anomalies in several suitcases.

The four passengers were identified as the owners of the suspicious luggage and were immediately escorted to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) screening offices for a secondary inspection. A thorough physical search of the group’s checked bags uncovered a massive haul of vacuum-sealed packages containing over 70 kilograms of marijuana.

Chief Judge Molloy ordered the following federal prison sentences:

• Masaca Creque, 41, of St. Thomas: Sentenced on July 8 to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
• Harry Davis, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia: Sentenced on July 9 to 22 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
• James King, 46, of St. Thomas: Sentenced on July 8 to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
• Dwayne Blash, 42, of St. Thomas: Sentenced on July 9 to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

The interdiction and subsequent arrests were the result of a coordinated operation conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The federal criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cherrisse Amaro and Erik Tate, alongside Criminal Chief Kyle Payne.