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Press Release

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NATIONALS PLEAD GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF 619 KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Virgin Islands

St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Dennito Montero-Felix, 48, and Fernandito Michel-Gomez, 56, both of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine with Intent to Distribute While on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States. Michel-Gomez is scheduled for sentencing on December 14, 2023. Sentencing for Montero-Felix is scheduled for December 20, 2023. Each faces a maximum term of incarceration of up to 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

According to court documents, on April 12, 2023, while on routine patrol, a maritime patrol aircraft located a go-fast vessel in international waters approximately 71 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic. The vessel had three occupants onboard and was equipped with two outboard engines, excessive fuel barrels, and large packages were visible on deck. A U.S. Coast Guard Cutter later intercepted the vessel and took the occupants into custody. Neither occupant claimed a nationality for the flagless vessel. The vessel was therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. On board the flagless vessel, Coast Guard Officers discovered approximately 619 kilograms of cocaine.

This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Updated September 20, 2023

Topic
Drug Trafficking