Enforcement officials with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources said Wednesday that custody of a suspected drug smuggling boat that ran aground near St. Croix has been turned over to them by federal authorities.
DPNR Commissioner Dean Plaskett said the vessel is believed to have a connection with "illegal activity in the area," but neither the commissioner nor spokeswoman Annette Morales would say what sort.
U.S. Coast Guard Lieut. Tim Lavier said the boat may have some connection with the appearance of about 385 pounds of cocaine on the shores of St. Croix since last weekend. Another 220 pounds was recovered Tuesday.
But Lavier said no clear connection between the boat and the contraband has been made. "We do not have any confirmation that is so. We have the boat, we have the bales of cocaine. No bales or contraband was found inside the boat," he said.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s resident agent on St. Croix, Paul Toner, Coast Guard personnel rescued four men from the Dominican Republic in the vicinity of Longford Reef, where the vessel ran aground. The men were turned over to a Dutch naval vessel and taken to St. Maarten.
Sgt. Joseph Donahue of the V.I. Police Department’s marine unit said 10 bales of cocaine had been recovered on the shores of St. Croix since the weekend. He said officers would continue to patrol the sea and shore.
Plaskett said an assessment will be made to determine the extent of damage inflicted on Longford reef.
"A determination will be made with respect to the safe and quick removal of the vessel to minimize possible additional damage," Plaskett said.
