Six Held After Major Cocaine Seizure in
A coordinated multi-agency operation between December 8 and 9 led to the interception of a cargo-type vessel in Virgin Islands waters and the seizure of 772.4 kilograms of suspected cocaine. The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), His Majesty’s Customs, United States Customs and Border Protection and regional partners carried out the operation; six men have been charged and remain in custody pending their appearance at Magistrate’s Court.
Law enforcement agencies say a coordinated multi-agency operation between December 8 and 9 resulted in the interception of a cargo-type vessel in Virgin Islands waters and the recovery of a large quantity of suspected cocaine. According to a Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) press release issued on December 11, 2025 and a follow-up report from Guavaberry, the operation was launched after intelligence indicated suspicious maritime activity.
Participating agencies included His Majesty’s Customs, the RVIPF, United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) and the Joint Regional Command Centre from the CARICOM region. Officers on patrol encountered the vessel and pursued it at sea. During the pursuit, people aboard allegedly threw items overboard that later appeared to be bales of cocaine and were recovered by police, the RVIPF said.
Officers then boarded the craft, found several male crew members, and escorted the vessel to Port Purcell where further suspected narcotics were reportedly discovered. Police have confirmed a total seizure of 772.4 kilograms of cocaine during the operation. BVI News published photographs showing bales recovered at sea, and Guavaberry’s account corroborates the quantities and arrests reported by the RVIPF.
Six men were arrested at the scene and have been formally charged, the RVIPF said. Those named by police are Francisco Mejia Ortiz, 21, of the Dominican Republic; Joel Santana Santos, 39, of the Dominican Republic; Jermife Toribio Vasquez, 40, of the Dominican Republic; Cesar Diaz Abrahim, 30, of Trinidad and Tobago; Ronald James, 49, of Trinidad and Tobago; and Candido Rois Quezada, 42, of St Kitts and Nevis.
All six face charges of importation of a controlled drug and four counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply; they remain in custody pending their expected appearance before the Magistrate’s Court, the RVIPF said. Interim Acting Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger praised the coordinated planning and risk taken by participating agencies, describing the seizure as a major disruption to organised criminal activity.
Guavaberry quoted Ullger saying the removal of more than 770 kilograms of cocaine from circulation "represents a major blow to organised crime" and commending the professionalism and commitment of all officers and partner agencies involved. The RVIPF has renewed a public appeal for assistance and urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
Members of the public with information are asked to contact the RVIPF Intelligence Unit at 368-9339, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 800-8477 or (284) 800-8477 for overseas callers, the police release and Guavaberry report stated. BVI News published the initial images and reporting of the seizure and arrests, while VINO has reported the vessel involved is named C Elizabeth II; the RVIPF’s formal release did not include the vessel name.
The investigation remains active and police said teams will continue inquiries while evidence is processed and further patrols are likely. This incident is one of several recent maritime drug interceptions in the territory and underscores ongoing cooperative efforts by the RVIPF and partner agencies to disrupt trafficking routes that can use BVI waters for transshipment.
BVI Live will continue to monitor the case and provide updates as more information, including any court proceedings, is released by police or the courts.
Primary source: BVI News