Crime

Three Indian Nationals Who Allegedly Attempted Illegal Entry Into U.S. at St. Croix Airport Arrested

ST. CROIX — Three Indian nationals who allegedly attempted illegal entry into the U.S. through the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix have been detained by federal law enforcement, U.S. Attorney for the Virgin Islands, Gretchen Shappert has announced. They appeared before Magistrate Court Judge George W. Cannon, Jr. for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 2 to face criminal charges. Probable cause was found and the defendants were bound over to the District Court for further proceedings. According to court documents, on November 24, 2021, at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix, Krishnaben Patel, age 25, Nikunjkumar Patel, age 27, and Ashokkumar Patel, age 39, presented themselves to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers for inspection to board Spirit Airlines Flight #449 from St. Croix to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A systems check revealed that their Florida driver’s licenses were not legally issued and were deemed fraudulent. Further inspection revealed that in August ...