TWO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MEN SENTENCED IN 619 COCAINE KILOGRAMS CASE

St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Fernandito Michel-Gomez, age 56, and Dennito Montero-Felix, age 48, both from the Dominican Republic, were sentenced by District Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 57 months incarceration, two years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment on their convictions of Conspiracy to Possess a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute While on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States.

According to court documents, on April 12, 2023, while on routine patrol, a Maritime Patrol Aircraft located a go-fast vessel with three occupants and multiple packages on board. The go-fast vessel was traveling at 71 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic. The United States Coast Guard Cutter “Forward” intercepted the vessel. Neither occupant claimed to be the master nor claim nationality for the vessel. The vessel did not display any flag or other markings and was traveling in international waters. The vessel was therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. A total of 23 bales totaling 619 kilograms of cocaine were later seized from the vessel.

This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States 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.