St. Maarten's harbormaster says the 26-foot powerboat loaded with an estimated 25 illegal aliens that ran ashore on St. John this week "is one of our boats."
Individuals seeking illegal entry into the Virgin Islands were apprehended in three different places on St. John and St. Thomas this week. Eleven, identified as Haitians and Chinese, were picked up Monday near Cinnamon Bay, where the boat ran aground; another four, all identified as Haitians, were taken into custody on Tuesday near Coral Bay. On Thursday, 31 adults and eight minors identified as Chinese were apprehended in Estate Tabor and Harmony. All were turned over to INS officials for extradition proceedings.
Upon learning the fate of the Dieukidonne, Harbormaster Sonny Hoo seemed just as interested in learning the circumstances that led it to the beach at Cinnamon Bay Campground as U.S. and V.I. officials were in determining the boat's origin.
V.I. National Park rangers worked during the week to salvage the boat after it was found run aground abandoned Monday morning. A Cinnamon Bay security officer told Chief Park Ranger Schuler Brown that up to 25 individuals who had been aboard the craft fled into the park as it landed. The 11 were picked up by rangers that day. Brown said the others so far have eluded authorities.
Petty Officer William Schara of Coast Guard Station San Juan said that once authorities identify the origin of a suspected smuggling boat, they share that information with local authorities in the country of origin and what is believed to be the vessel's intended destination.
"We would notify them," Schara said. "For the Virgin Islands, it would probably be the police and the INS [U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service]. For the down islands, we would probably get ahold of one or two agencies and let them handle it."
