Two Haitian nationals, Dieuseul Mompremier and Lamorthe Delva, were arrested Friday on St. Thomas after a federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment charging them with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States in an incident that cost eight people – including four children – their lives, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced Monday.
Mompremier, 44, and Delva, 45, made their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller, who ordered Delva held without bail pending trial, and continued Mompremier’s detention hearing to Thursday.
Sharpe said that according to the indictment:
– In December 2010, Mompremier, Delva and Roro Edourre, 46, conspired with each other and additional coconspirators to smuggle illegal aliens into St. John;
– On Dec. 5, 2010, Edourre was the captain on the vessel Jesus La with approximately 33 passengers, most of them Haitian nationals, including men, women and children, when the vessel traveled from St. Maarten to the U.S. Virgin Islands;
– While Edourre was transporting the illegal aliens on the vessel, Mompremier and Delva waited in the territory and communicated with their coconspirators by telephone;
– The U.S. Coast Guard spotted the vessel carrying Edourre and his passengers and Edourre attempted to evade the Coast Guard;
– While attempting to evade the Coast Guard, Jesus La ran aground and sank, resulting in the death of at least eight individuals, including four children.
In addition to conspiracy to smuggle aliens, Mompremier, Delva and Edourre are charged with unlawfully attempting to bring aliens into the United States. Mompremier also is charged with transportation of an alien within the United States on or about Dec. 28, 2011.
Edourre was also prosecuted for manslaughter in the British Virgin Islands, where he is currently serving his sentence.
The 10-count indictment is the result of months of investigative work by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Sharpe said.
