Pedro Samuel Sr., 58, of Diamond Estate, and Reno Alphonso, 27, of Fort Hill have been named as the two males charged in this weekend’s drug seizure off Cooper Island.
This was confirmed by the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) in a media release moments ago which said both Samuel and Alphonso “were both charged with possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and failing to comply with a lawful order given by an officer.”
Police said the two men will appear at the next available sitting of the Magistrate’s Court.
The Marine Branch of the RVIPF also detailed what led to the discovery of the drugs which they said amounted to more than 400 kilograms of cocaine.
They said, “While on routine sea patrol, officers of the Marine Branch gave instructions to the captain of a suspicious vessel seen heading in the direction of Cooper Island to stop. The captain, however, attempted to evade the police. A second attempt to stop the vessel was successful.”
“An initial search of the vessel uncovered a small quantity of what was suspected to be cocaine in the bow of the boat. A subsequent and more detailed search of the boat uncovered over 400 kilograms of the illegal substance,” the RVIPF added.
Speaking on the incident, the Supervisor for the Marine Branch, Acting Chief Inspector Dean Robin highlighted his officers’ passionate and consistent drive in keeping the territory safe from illegal activities.
He said, “These officers embrace the battle at sea with a passion and regularly stop and search suspicious vessels. We are confident that with the eyes of our Marine Branch and help from other law enforcement agencies both locally and within the U.S., persons hoping to use these waters for drug trafficking will have a very difficult time.”