Crime

St. Croix Woman Charged with Smuggling Cocaine Onboard American Airlines Flight

ST. CROIX -- Tillisa Caesar, 32, on Monday appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge George Cannon for an advice of rights hearing after being taken into custody by the Homeland Security Investigation. Caesar was charged with possession with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. At the conclusion of the hearing, Magistrate Cannon remanded Caesar pending her detention hearing on September 19, 2019. According to court records, on July 10, Ceasar recruited Amarrah Stevens of St. Thomas to act as a courier to smuggle several packages of cocaine from St. Croix to Miami onboard American Airlines flight #2227. On July 11, after boarding the flight, Caesar instructed Stevens to retrieve two brick-shaped packages of cocaine that were placed in the life vest bin located under her seat. The investigation revealed that the packages of cocaine were placed on the aircraft during the overnight hours of July 10 while it sat on the tarmac. Ceasar also purchased Ste...