April 2, 2007 — Police arrested two men after a search of a St. Croix housing-project apartment yielded drugs, guns and cash, officials said Monday.
V.I. Police and federal agents executed a search warrant for apartments 21-D and 45-J in the La Grande Princess housing complex Friday, finding crack cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride, cannabis, a handgun, $20,000 in U.S. currency, shotgun shells, and "other evidence," according to a written statement from U.S. Attorney Anthony Jenkins.
Police arrested Robert Dowling, 49, and Donoldo Byron, 19, who face federal charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug-trafficking crime.
Both men were jailed after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon late Friday.
The bust represents a victory for policing in the territory and resulted from cooperation between local and federal agencies, said James McCall, recently confirmed as police commissioner by the 27th Legislature.
"Gov. John deJongh Jr. and I pledged that this administration would marshal federal and local law-enforcement resources into one united effort," McCall said. "This operation is an example of what can be accomplished when we work together."
Agencies involved in the bust were the V.I. Police department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the V.I. National Guard.
Officials have designated the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as high-intensity drug-trafficking areas (HIDTA), and law-enforcement agencies regularly team up to combat drug trafficking as part of the HIDTA task force.
It was not immediately clear when the arrested men might appear in court.
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