United States Attorney Delia L. Smith has announced charges against five individuals in connection with an illegal alien smuggling case. Jose Miguel Hodge, 31, from the British Virgin Islands, faces charges of alien smuggling. Additionally, Junia Orelus, 32, Clawens Destin, 18, and Jean Louis Martellus, 27, all from Haiti, along with Eudys Santana Santos, 33, from the Dominican Republic, have been charged with unlawful entry into the United States.
Court records reveal that on February 7, 2025, agents from Customs and Border Protection Air Marine Operations observed Hodge operating a vessel without navigational lights as it traveled from BVI waters to Annaberg Bay in St. John. Upon interception and boarding of the vessel by agents, Orelus, Destin and Metellus were found onboard as illegal aliens. Meanwhile, Santana Santos was discovered at Annaberg Bay allegedly waiting to provide transportation for at least one individual aboard Hodge’s vessel.
The investigation is being conducted by Customs and Border Protection Air Marine Operations alongside Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Smith emphasized that "a criminal complaint is merely an allegation," adding that "all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."