Ivan Van Beverhoudt, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for importing and possessing with intent to distribute over 15 kilograms of cocaine.
"Van Beverhoudt betrayed his badge by committing one of the very crimes he was entrusted to prevent—smuggling dangerous drugs into our country," stated U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Our office and its agency partners will hold accountable any law enforcement officer who abuses his authority for criminal ends, and Van Beverhoudt’s twenty-year sentence demonstrates that such abuse will be met with severe consequences."
Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, remarked on the case's significance: "This case highlights the severe repercussions for law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of trust." He added that Van Beverhoudt's attempt to smuggle over 15 kilograms of cocaine into the country was a grave violation.
The charges stemmed from an incident on January 10, 2020, when Van Beverhoudt boarded a flight from St. Thomas to Atlanta carrying 16 bricks of cocaine in his carry-on bags while traveling in his official capacity with a CBP-issued firearm. Upon arrival at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a narcotics K-9 officer detected the drugs in his luggage.
On February 24, 2025, after a five-day jury trial, Van Beverhoudt was convicted on multiple counts related to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
United States District Judge J.P. Boulee handed down the sentence on July 8, 2025, which includes five years of supervised release following imprisonment.
The investigation involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert, Bret R. Hobson, and Laurel B. Milam prosecuted the case.
For more information about drug dangers visit www.justthinktwice.gov or contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185.
