Carlos Alexis Olivares-Taveras, a 34-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic, has been ordered detained pending trial after his arrest on federal drug and immigration charges in St. Thomas, according to an announcement from Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper.
Court documents indicate that on September 22, 2025, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other law enforcement agencies stopped a vehicle driven by Olivares-Taveras during an immigration enforcement operation in St. Thomas. Agents reportedly saw a white powdery substance in the driver’s side door panel during the stop.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered eleven baggies containing a substance that tested positive for cocaine and about $4,000 in cash. During an interview with authorities, Olivares-Taveras admitted ownership of both the cocaine and the money. He also told investigators he had entered the United States unlawfully by boat from Tortola to St. John in February 2025 without presenting himself at a lawful port of entry.
Olivares-Taveras faces charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted, as well as illegal entry into the United States under 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a)(1).
"This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Cherrisse R. Amaro is prosecuting the case," said Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper.
Authorities 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."
