Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified and arrested two men with active warrants in the territory over the weekend.
Andre Stoutt, 31, a citizen of the British Virgin Islands, presented himself Saturday for CBP inspection when arriving at Cruz Bay, St. John, Port of Entry from West End Tortola, BVI. Law enforcement databases identified an outstanding warrant for his arrest for vehicle theft in Brevard County, Fla.
Customs and Border Protection officers confirmed that the warrant was active, detained him and turned over his custody to the V.I. Islands Police Department for extradition.
On Sunday, during pre-departure inspections at the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas, CBP officers identified another individual with an outstanding warrant. Richard Morales-Aponte, 30, a U.S. citizen and resident of Wellington, Fla., attempted to board a flight bound to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
St. Thomas CBP officers found he had a full extradition warrant out of the City of Yonkers Police Department in New York for dangerous-drug charges.
After confirming the warrant and coordinating with Homeland Security investigation agents and the VIPD, he was turned over to VIPD for extradition.
“The identification of these travelers with outstanding warrants from different jurisdictions is just a sample of CBP’s mission as guardians of our nation’s borders,” said St. Thomas acting Area Port Director Vinroy Douglas.
“Customs and Border Protection routinely cooperates with other law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of U.S. laws,” he said.
