Nov. 19, 2001 – Two Puerto Rican men were charged with drug offenses Sunday after an inspection of their fishing boat yielded about 48 pounds of cocaine hidden in two gas tanks.
Bartolo Martez Jimenez, 54, and Fernando Batista De La Cruz, 31, both of Santurce, Puerto Rico, are both charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. They are being held in jail on St. Thomas in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Montclair Guishard, an officer with the marine patrol unit of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, stated in court papers that he intercepted the small fishing boat late Sunday morning about one-half mile south of Water Island. The craft was traveling west at high speed, Guishard stated.
The men had a couple of fish pots on deck, in which Guishard found two undersized lobsters. The officer escorted the two men to St. Thomas, where they were cited for fishing in V.I. waters without a license and possession of undersized lobsters, he stated.
Guishard and a U.S. Coast Guard officer then inspected the fishing boat, at which time they found the 30 kilograms – about 48 pounds – of cocaine hidden in the gas tanks, according to the court papers.
The value of the cocaine is estimated at about $600,000.
