Subcontractor Employee at Cyril E. King Airport Arrested After Discovery of Over 4 ½ Kilograms of Cocaine

St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced that a complaint has been filed charging Keilin Lopez Lopez with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. 

According to the affidavit filed in this case, on July 31, 2020 at approximately 6:30 p.m., a Virgin Islands Port Authority employee witnessed an adult male tampering with a trashcan in a stall in the men’s restroom located inside the Cyril E. King terminal. Officers removed the trashcan from the wall revealing an open recess in between both sides of the interior wall. One (1) large, brick shaped bundle and one (1) small, brick shaped bundle containing approximately 4.6 kilograms of cocaine was lying at the bottom of the recess of the trashcan.

Airport video surveillance footage showed a male, later identified as Keilin Lopez Lopez, wearing a backpack enter the bathroom where the bundles were discovered. Officers located Mr. Lopez, who is an employee for a company contracted to work on the airport remodel. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Mr. Lopez waived them and stated he removed the trashcan from the wall in the restroom stall and placed the bundles inside the wall.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs
and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan Albino.

United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.