Federal authorities have detained a Dominican Republic national on charges of drug possession and illegal entry into the United States following his arrest earlier this week on St. Thomas.
According to Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper, Carlos Alexis Olivares-Taveras, 34, was ordered detained on September 24, 2025, pending trial or until the defense requests a reopening of his detention hearing. His arrest stemmed from a law enforcement operation conducted two days earlier.
On September 22, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, working with partner law enforcement agencies, carried out an immigration enforcement operation in St. Thomas. During the operation, officers stopped a vehicle driven by Olivares-Taveras. Agents reported observing a white powdery substance in the driver’s side door panel.
A subsequent search uncovered eleven baggies containing a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine, along with approximately $4,000 in U.S. currency.
Court documents state that during an interview, Olivares-Taveras admitted both the cocaine and the money belonged to him. He also acknowledged that he had entered the United States unlawfully in February 2025 by boat from Tortola to St. John without presenting himself at a lawful port of entry.
Olivares-Taveras is facing two federal charges: possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), and illegal entry into the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a)(1). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the drug charge.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse R. Amaro is prosecuting the matter.
Authorities emphasized that a criminal complaint is an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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