Miami-Bound Colorado Man Arrested at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport and Charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute After 3 Kilos of Cocaine was Found in His Luggage

St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a Colorado man was arrested on October 19, 2021 at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport and advised of his rights on criminal charges related to his alleged possession cocaine on October 20, 2021.

According to court documents, Customs and Border Patrol officers were conducting inspections of passengers on American Airlines flight #1293 departing from St. Croix to Miami, Florida when Kareme Holst presented himself. He was referred to secondary inspection where an x-ray of his luggage revealed a box that contained plastic bottles with a white powdery substance in clear plastic wrapping.  Further inspection revealed a pair of trousers with a white powdery substance wrapped in plastic in a pocket. The substance was field tested and reacted positive to the characteristics of cocaine. The weight of the substance was approximately three kilograms.

Holst is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. If convicted, he faces a potential of 5 - 40 years in prison.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry is prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.