Three men, two from the Dominican Republic and one from Venezuela were charged with illegal entry to the US, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Friday.
Randy Jimenez-Vargas and Irving Jhon Mendoza-Alcantara from the Dominican Republic and Jonas Alberto Mendez-Garcia from Venezuela were charged with illegally entering the United States, according to the press release.
According to court documents, Jimenez-Vargas, Mendoza-Alcantara and Mendez-Garcia presented themselves for inspection at the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas before boarding a flight to Washington, DC. During their inspection, Customs and Border Patrol Officers determined that the three individuals were foreign nationals and had no legal documents permitting them to enter the United States. A review of the individuals’ passport stamps revealed that the last stamp in each passport was dated between March 6 and May 20, which corresponded with their exit from a foreign country. Records checks also revealed that neither individual legally entered the United States. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the appropriate statutory factors.
United States Customs and Border Protection is investigating the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Adam Sleeper is prosecuting the case.
