Coast Guard and federal law enforcement authorities completed a three-day multiagency operation Saturday in the U.S. Virgin Islands in support of Operation Full Court Press.
This joint operation focused on illegal immigration and narcotics trafficking, and included participation from Coast Guard Boat Forces on St. Thomas and St. Croix, Coast Guard Sector San Juan Boarding Team, Customs and Border Protection’s Air & Marine Operations (AMO) and Field Operations, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations and the Transportation Security Administration.
During the course of the operation, over 15 cargo ferries and passenger ferries were screened and more than 1,000 passengers went through checkpoints established at the St. John and St. Thomas ferry terminals with the assistance of the Transportation Security Administration.
Monitoring efforts at the checkpoint revealed two cases of passengers carrying a firearm and over 30 cases of passengers carrying knives or other sharp objects. These cases were addressed immediately and actions were taken to collect the weapons from passengers before boarding the ferry.
In one instance, a Customs and Border Protection K-9 Unit successfully identified a person who was in possession of marijuana for personal use. The subject was referred to local law enforcement authorities for processing. Additionally, two illegal aliens, a Dominican Republic national and an Ecuadorian national, were also detained. The men were interviewed and processed for removal by immigration authorities.
“This operation was a success thanks to the professionalism, commitment and seamless communication and collaboration between all the agency personnel involved,” said Chief Petty Officer Luis Cabrera, Boat Forces Saint Thomas supervisor.
“For any situation that we encountered, we had a federal agency subject matter expert available on scene to deal with the situation immediately. These efforts help protect our maritime transportation system and waterway for the safety of our citizens and visitors in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Cabrera said.
Operation Full Court Press joins interdiction assets from Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO), Coast Guard, Department of Defense and Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), in coordination with Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South), to disrupt Transnational Criminal Organizations within the maritime approaches to the southeastern United States.
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