Two individuals have been arrested in separate drug trafficking incidents at the Cyril E King Airport in St Thomas on April 8, 2026.

According to US Attorney for the Virgin Islands Adam F Sleeper, the arrests stem from unrelated operations involving marijuana and cocaine discovered during routine inspections.

In the first incident, Davaunte Butler, of Kissimmee, Florida, was taken into custody after allegedly arriving on a flight from Atlanta, Georgia with two suitcases containing marijuana.

Court documents state that officers from US Customs and Border Protection identified Butler’s luggage during a routine inspection and allowed it to proceed to the baggage claim area. Authorities then observed Butler retrieving the bags, at which point he was detained.

The suitcases were found to contain approximately 28 kilogrammes (61 pounds) of marijuana.

In a separate incident on the same day, Aslyn Thomas, 45, of St Thomas, was arrested for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Investigators said Thomas reported for duty as a ramp agent at the airport when his backpack was inspected as part of routine security procedures. During the search, security personnel discovered three brick-like packages deemed suspicious.

Officers from the Virgin Islands Port Authority, assisted by a K-9 unit, responded to the scene. The canine alerted to the presence of narcotics, and further examination by Customs officials confirmed that the packages—weighing more than seven pounds—contained cocaine.

Both matters are under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and US Customs and Border Protection.