ST. THOMAS, USVI – A seemingly innocuous airport remodel job turned into a federal drug bust when Keilin Lopez Lopez, 22, of St. Thomas, V.I., was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison today. Lopez Lopez admitted to stashing approximately 4 kilograms of cocaine within the walls of a men’s restroom at the Cyril E. King Airport.
The scheme unraveled on July 31, 2020, when a sharp-eyed Virgin Islands Port Authority employee spotted Lopez Lopez tampering with a trashcan inside a restroom stall. What initially appeared as simple vandalism quickly escalated. Authorities discovered the trashcan had been deliberately removed, revealing a hidden cavity within the wall. Inside, neatly concealed, were two brick-shaped bundles packed with cocaine.
Airport surveillance footage didn’t lie. It clearly showed Lopez Lopez, sporting a backpack, entering the restroom shortly before the discovery. When questioned by officers, Lopez Lopez – an employee of a company contracted for the ongoing airport remodel – waived his rights and confessed to the crime. He admitted to removing the trashcan and concealing the drugs within the wall cavity. A brazen attempt to move serious weight right under the noses of security.
“This sentence sends a clear message: attempting to exploit positions of trust to facilitate criminal activity will not be tolerated,” stated United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert. The investigation was a joint effort between Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, highlighting the ongoing commitment to securing the territory’s borders and disrupting drug trafficking operations.
Lopez Lopez’s 37-month sentence is followed by a four-year term of supervised release. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan Albino. This wasn’t a lone operation, but a component of a larger Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative. OCDETF focuses on dismantling high-level criminal organizations, employing a multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach.
OCDETF isn’t interested in small-time dealers; they’re after the kingpins. Lopez Lopez’s conviction, while significant, is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Those seeking more information about the OCDETF Program can find it at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments related to the larger OCDETF operation.
RELATED: 12 TSA, Airport Workers Indicted in 20-Ton Cocaine Smuggle
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
