A Saint Lucian and 38 Cubans have been allegedly smuggled into the US Virgin Islands by a French national, who was arrested and charged on April 30.
Alain Rene Leichtnam, 71, was charged with encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the United States in violation of law, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe of the District of the Virgin Islands.
The US Department of Justice said the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Air and Marine (OAM) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) intercepted a catamaran vessel, Mazurka, off of the coast of St. John, Virgin Islands, in the early morning hours of April 29, 2015.
The vessel was operated by Leichtnam and contained the aliens. None of the individuals possessed the proper documents to lawfully enter the United States. Their names have not yet been released.
Encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the United States 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.
The case is being investigated by the CBP, OAM, the USCG and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Kim L. Chisholm of the District of the Virgin Islands.
Leichtnam made his initial appearance on May 1, 2015, and had his detention hearing on (May 6).
Leichtnam has been detained pending further proceedings and he was remanded to the custody of the US Marshals Service.