DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NATIONAL DETAINED ON FEDERAL DRUG AND IMMIGRATION CHARGES

St. Thomas, VI –Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that on September 24, 2025, Carlos Alexis Olivares-Taveras, 34, of the Dominican Republic, was ordered detained pending trial, or until the defense seeks a reopening of his detention hearing, following his arrest on federal drug and immigration offenses.
According to court documents, on September 22, 2025, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and partner law enforcement agencies conducting an immigration enforcement operation in St. Thomas stopped a vehicle driven by the defendant. During the stop, agents observed a white powdery substance in the driver’s side door panel.
A search of the vehicle revealed eleven baggies containing a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine and approximately $4,000 in U.S. currency. During an interview, the defendant admitted that the cocaine and money belonged to him. He also admitted that he had entered the United States unlawfully by boat from Tortola to St. John in February 2025 without presenting himself at a lawful port of entry.
Olivares-Taveras is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), and with illegal entry into the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a)(1). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment on the drug charge.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Cherrisse R. Amaro is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.