CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The U.S. Coast Guard is currently assessing the territory’s ports, Government House said. The ports are tentatively scheduled to reopen at noon today and possibly earlier depending on the findings of the Coast Guard assessments. For more information call Monifa Marrero-Brathwaite, Public Information Officer for the Virgin

CHARLOTTE AMALIE –– A Mexican national and an Ecuadorian national each pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle 3,384 pounds of cocaine into the region just minutes before their jury trial was scheduled to begin in St. Thomas, authorities said. Hector Hernandez Saucedo, of Mexico City and Calixto Tumbaco of Quito

CHRISTIANSTED — Citing concerns about public safety, Senator Kenneth Gittens has requested that the Department of Planning & Natural Resources take immediate steps to remove partially sunken vessels from Christiansted Harbor.  These vessels, most of which were damaged in recent inclement weather, pose a safety hazard to other boats and to seaplanes,

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The second of two men arrested for attempting to smuggle more than 1,307 pounds of marijuana by boat into the region has been found guilty, authorities said. Cristian Valencia Mendoza of Colombia was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A native of Costa Rica admitted in federal court that he captained a vessel that tried to introduce at least 1,307 pounds of marijuana into the region, authorities said. Hansel Andres Centeno-Arriola of San José pled guilty on Friday to possession of a controlled substance with Intent

MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard interdicted 14 Haitian migrants a Dominican migrant and a suspected smuggler Wednesday 12 miles east of Boynton Beach. Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders received a report from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office of a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations aircraft detecting

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Three South Americans and one Central American were charged in federal court today with drug smuggling in Caribbean waters patrolled by the United States, authorities said. Freddy Montano Paz, 29, Calixto Tumbaco, 41, Mariano Abregon, 42, and Hector Hernandez Saucedo, 48, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth

MIAMI —  Two shipping vessels have been reported “abandoned” and “adrift” in the Caribbean today. One was described by the Maritime Bulletin as being a coastal shipping vessel and the other is a “cargo ship” that was reported abandoned and adrift in “Caribbean waters” on March 29. In other maritime

CHARLOTTE AMALIE – Two of three Dominican Republic nationals admitted in federal court to their roles in bringing 2,204 pounds of cocaine to the region. Edwin Vargas, 31, and Lennin Cornelio-Perez, 32, each of Santo Domingo, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess a controlled substance on board a vessel subject

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — United States Coast Guard and Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) crews seized $30 million worth of cocaine and apprehended three smugglers this week, authorities said. The Coast Guard said it seized an estimated 2,606 pounds of cocaine during an exercise in international waters off the U.S. Virgin Islands