ST. THOMAS -- A French national was arrested on April 30 for allegedly attempting to smuggle 40 people into the territory via St. John -- including 39 Cubans and 1 St. Lucian, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe has announced.
Alain Rene Leichtnam, 71, made his initial appearance in court on Wednesday for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller. Leichtnam was detained by Judge Miller pending further proceedings and was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
According to the complaint, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine and the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a catamaran vessel, Mazurka, off the coast of St. John, in the early morning hours of April 29. The vessel was operated by Leichtnam and none of the individuals in it possessed the proper documents to lawfully enter the U.S.
Encouraging and persuading aliens to enter the U.S. carries a sentence of not more than five years in prison, and in the case of a violation in which the offense was done for the purpose of private financial gain, not more than 10 years’ imprisonment.
A complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt, Sharpe said, adding that every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the CBP, OAM, the USSG, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim L. Chisholm.
Feature Image: U.S. Coast Guard vessel near Fort Christianvaern, St. Croix
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