A Venezuelan national has pleaded guilty to a serious narcotics charge in the US Virgin Islands. Carlos Rodriguez Garcia, 26, was part of a group of 11 individuals apprehended by the United States Coast Guard off the coast of St. Croix.
According to court documents, the USCG intercepted a suspicious vessel named La Gran Tormenta on the evening of September 25, 2019. The crew failed to respond to USCG’s efforts to engage in questioning, and upon detection, they changed course and began jettisoning packages.
Crew members from the USCG Cutter Donald Horsley subsequently retrieved two bales from the water. Laboratory testing revealed that the packages contained approximately 49 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride.
After requesting and receiving permission to stop the vessel from the flag state, Venezuela, USCG personnel attempted a right-of-visit boarding which was ineffective. Eventually, they obtained control of the vessel through an entanglement tactic.
The case was investigated by the US Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.
Carlos Rodriguez Garcia pleaded guilty before US Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Garcia faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison for his conviction. A federal district court judge will determine his final sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The sentencing date is scheduled for October 19, 2022.
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Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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