A Dominican Republic national, Ruben Reyes, 37, was sentenced by Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Friday.
According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2020, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations intercepted a vessel traveling from St. Thomas toward Puerto Rico at approximately one mile southwest of Savana Island. The vessel was operating without navigational lights, and individuals on board the vessel were observed throwing black objects overboard into the ocean. Agents placed markers in the locations where the objects were discarded while they continued to pursue the vessel. Reyes, Jorge Romero Amaro, Giovanni Graciani, Hector Rivera Concepcion and Pedro Luis Sayan Villanueva were found on board the vessel and seven duffle bags containing approximately 198 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from the ocean.
