One Suspect in U.S. Border Case Says He Came from Tortola

A recent federal case in the U.S. Virgin Islands has raised questions about possible migration routes through the British Virgin Islands, after a man detained by U.S. authorities said he had recently come from Tortola.

On April 25, U.S. Coast Guard officers discovered three individuals hiding in the bushes near Annaberg Beach on St. John. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations agents were called to the scene, where the men were questioned. According to court documents, one of the three individuals stated that they had arrived in St. John from Tortola two days earlier and were attempting to return. The individual was not publicly identified in court filings, and it remains unclear whether any charges are linked specifically to that Tortola-related claim.

Two of the three men—Cruz Miguel Zabala and Feliz Rafael Marquez Sanchez—were later charged with illegal entry. Both reportedly agreed to speak to authorities without a lawyer present. Zabala identified himself as a Venezuelan citizen who knowingly entered U.S. territory without authorization, while Sanchez allegedly presented a Venezuelan passport and admitted to landing in St. John without inspection. Their trials are scheduled for June 3 before Magistrate Judges Emile Henderson III and Alan Teague, respectively. The third man has not yet been charged publicly.

In a separate incident on April 28, CBP AMO agents were monitoring a Puerto Rico-registered vessel anchored at Krum Bay, St. Thomas, when it departed around 2:00 a.m. without navigational lights. The boat failed to stop when ordered, prompting CBP officers to disable it by firing at the engine. The vessel came to a stop just east of Sail Rock.

Seven people were on board, six of whom are nationals of the Dominican Republic. Among them was Jennifer Lisbet Matos, who records show had previously entered the United States but lacked legal status. She was charged with illegal entry and will also appear in court on June 3.

Also on board was Martin Ortega Adames, a previously deported individual, who now faces charges of unlawful re-entry. A bond hearing for him is scheduled for Wednesday.

Authorities are also seeking the detention of two additional Dominican nationals, Frias and Garcia Diaz, described as material witnesses who could be deported after testifying in the case.

The boat’s captain, Puerto Rican national Anibal Vega Arizmendi, is accused of knowingly smuggling individuals without proper documentation. He reportedly told Homeland Security agents, through an interpreter, that the vessel was headed to Culebra, Puerto Rico. Arizmendi, a convicted felon recently released to supervised custody, faces charges of human smuggling and failing to comply with law enforcement orders. His detention hearing is also scheduled for Wednesday.