Jamaican Nationals Convicted Of Maritime Drug Trafficking Offenses Following Federal Jury Trial

St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that on January 16, 2026, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against defendants Miguel Orr and Romaine Betty following a multi-day trial involving large-scale maritime drug trafficking. 

Miguel Orr was found guilty on Counts One and Two of the Indictment, which charged him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance while on board such a vessel. The jury also found Romaine Betty guilty on Count Two of the Indictment, which charged him with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. 

The evidence at trial established that on or about April 30, 2024, the defendants were aboard a go-fast vessel intercepted by the United States Coast Guard on the high seas, approximately 14 nautical miles off the coast of Tiburon, Haiti. During the interdiction, the Coast Guard recovered approximately 3,736 pounds of a substance packaged in bales. Tests of samples returned positive for marijuana. 

This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cherrisse R. Amaro and Assistant United States Attorney Denise N. George. 

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2026, before the Honorable Chief District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy.