ST. THOMAS — A Dominican Republic national was arrested Monday after an immigration enforcement operation in St. Thomas led to the discovery of cocaine hidden in his vehicle, according to court documents.
Authorities identified the suspect as Olivares Taveras, who was the target of a multi-agency operation. Agents observed him getting into a car near the Nisky Center before driving east on Veteran’s Drive. He was soon stopped, and during questioning reportedly admitted he did not have legal documentation to be in the United States.
As Taveras stepped out of the vehicle, agents say they noticed bags of a white powdery substance stashed in the driver’s side door panel. The car was later towed to the Homeland Security Investigations office, where two Customs and Border Protection dogs alerted positive during sweeps.
Investigators recovered 11 small zippered bags containing a total of 44.28 grams of cocaine, which returned positive results during a field test. After being read his Miranda rights in Spanish, Taveras agreed to provide a statement without waiting for an attorney.
He told agents he was born in the Dominican Republic to parents who were also nationals and that he had traveled to the British Virgin Islands earlier this year before arriving by boat to St. John in February.
According to investigators, Taveras admitted to possession of both the cocaine and several thousand dollars in cash also recovered from the vehicle. He said the money was intended to repay debts.
Taveras was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, as well as unlawful entry into the United States.
He appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Alan Teague for an initial hearing. The public court docket indicates a date for his detention hearing has not yet been set.
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