On Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection field operations officers on St. Thomas identified a man with an active outstanding warrant from Palm Beach County, Fla., the CBP announced in a news release.
The offense listed on the warrant was violation of probation for felony driving under the influence and possession of marijuana.
According to the CBP, Jeffrey Mark Ballard, 54, a citizen of the United States, was identified after he presented himself for inspection at the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas before boarding a Miami-bound flight. Law enforcement databases alerted to the outstanding warrant for his arrest.
The Customs office on St. Thomas coordinated with CBP in Miami to have the subject met when his flight arrived in Florida and transfer his custody to the Miami Dade Police Department, which executed the warrant.
This is the fourth recent incident in which Customs and Border Protection officers identified individuals being sought by law enforcement agencies in different jurisdictions.
“As members of the nation’s border security agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have the responsibility of identifying fugitives at our ports of entry and returning them to face justice for crimes they may have committed,” said Vinroy Douglas, acting St. Thomas Area port director.
