Customs And Border Protection Officers Detain Man Wanted In Florida For Violation Of DUI, Marijuana Charges

ST. THOMAS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations officers here identified a man with an active outstanding warrant from Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, West Palm Beach, Florida, according to a press release CBP issued this morning. The offense listed on the warrant was violation of probation for felony DUI and possession of marijuana.

Jeffrey Mark Ballard, 54, a citizen of the United States, was identified after he presented himself for CBP inspection at the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, before boarding a flight bound to Miami, Florida. Law enforcement databases alerted to the outstanding warrant for his arrest.

“As members of the nation’s border security agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have the responsibility of identifying fugitives at our ports of entry and returning them to face justice for crimes they may have committed,” stated acting St. Thomas Area Port Director, Vinroy Douglas.

This incident is the fourth one this week where CBP officers identified individuals being sought by law enforcement agencies in different jurisdictions. In this latest case, CBP officers here coordinated with CBP in Miami to meet the subject upon arrival and transfer his custody to the Miami Dade Police Department, which executed the warrant.

USVI Pre-Departure Inspections CBP officers detect many individuals wanted by authorities in the continental U.S., upon their arrival to the USVI, or upon their return to the mainland from the USVI.