Federal Jury Convicts Puerto Rican Man of Trafficking 65 Kilograms of Cocaine During Boat Chase West of Savanah Island

St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that a federal jury convicted Jean Carlos Torres Cruz, of Puerto Rico, for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance pursuant to 21 U.S.C §§ 841(b)(1)(A) and 846. After a two-day trial, the defendant was convicted as charged. The defendant faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 120 months imprisonment and up to life in prison. The Chief District Court Judge, Robert A. Molloy, will schedule a sentencing hearing to determine the sentence to be imposed.  

According to court documents and testimony presented at trial, on July 21, 2025, the defendant was stopped while a passenger on a boat in the waters near Savanah Island, just west of St. Thomas, USVI. At approximately 3:00 a.m., U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection Air and Marine (AMO) detected a vessel operating without navigation lights traveling towards St. Thomas, USVI from Culebra, PR. AMO-St. Thomas launched a vessel to investigate and located the lights-out vessel west of Savanah Island heading towards Culebra, PR. The vessel fled from the AMO vessel while the defendant threw bags overboard. The vessel stopped after AMO agents fired warnings flares in front of the fleeing boat. Once the boat was stopped, and the defendant and another male were arrested, AMO agents searched the area and recovered two duffle bags that the defendant threw overboard. The duffel bags contained 65 packages. A Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory analyst confirmed that the 65 packages contained approximately 65 kilograms of cocaine.  

This case was investigated jointly by the AMO and the DEA. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney, Erik Tate and Criminal Chief Kyle Payne.