U.S. Attorney James Hurd does not list drug use as a major federal crime category in the territory, contrary to public belief. He said Wednesday, however, that for the law enforcement community, drug trafficking remains a menace.
"Although I dont consider the drug trade in the Virgin Islands to be the top priority confronting the law enforcement community, there is a drug problem that must be addressed," Hurd said.
The territory's use as a transshipment point has caught the attention of the federal government, he said.
"This has been a big problem for some time and has been exacerbated in recent years by improving technology," Hurd said.
Hurd, the chief prosecutor in the Virgin Islands for the federal government, said drug runners have frustrated the efforts of law enforcement with commonly available technology that helps them avoid detection primarily through the use of global positioning satellite capabilities.
"These GPS instruments can bring an airplane or a boat to a specific location to facilitate drug drops and other illicit activity," Hurd said.
Law enforcement methods that remain effective, however, are some that have been around for sometime, including the authority to "wiretap" or listen in on telephone conversations with court approval, Hurd said.