BVI man faces charges over alleged smuggling in US waters

A Tortola man has been charged with a federal people-smuggling offence after United States authorities intercepted a vessel allegedly used to transport an Indian family from St Thomas to Culebra, Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands Consortium identified the accused as Kavon Wheatley, a British national from the BVI. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said authorities charged him under a federal law covering the unlawful transportation, harbouring and entry of unauthorised immigrants. According to the Consortium’s report, the operation began at about 6. 30 am on September 15 after a CBP Air and Marine Operations unit alerted the agency’s Fajardo Marine Unit to a vessel travelling from St Thomas towards Culebra. Marine Interdiction agents contacted Puerto Rico Police officers on Culebra, who responded to the area where the vessel had reportedly reached shore.

Officers detained three Indian nationals — an adult man, an adult woman and a juvenile — who identified themselves as members of the same family. The Fajardo Marine Unit subsequently deployed two vessels to assist with the operation. Agents intercepted the boat allegedly used to transport the family and found one person still aboard. Following interviews by Ramey Sector Border Patrol agents and members of the Homeland Security Task Force’s Human Smuggling Unit, authorities identified Wheatley as the vessel’s alleged operator. CBP did not disclose whether the family paid for the journey, how long they had remained in St Thomas or where the vessel departed. The agency also provided no additional information about the circumstances surrounding the family’s arrival in Culebra. Authorities transported the three Indian nationals and Wheatley to the Ramey Border Patrol Station for further processing. CBP said…