United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced charges against Joan Tavarez Bueno, a 33-year-old national of the Dominican Republic, for illegally re-entering the United States after being previously removed.
Court documents reveal that on March 10, 2025, Tavarez Bueno was stopped by law enforcement in St. Thomas after Homeland Security Investigations received information about a possible non-citizen traveling from St. John by ferry to the Red Hook Ferry Terminal. Agents identified an individual matching Tavarez Bueno's description exiting the terminal and entering a vehicle parked nearby. The vehicle was subsequently stopped, and Tavarez Bueno was detained. A records check confirmed his illegal status in the United States following his previous removal on February 13, 2024. If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the National Park Service and is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.
United States Attorney Smith emphasized that "a criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
