Victor Reyes-Martinez, 40, of Nicaragua, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith announced this weekend.
A sentencing date for Reyes-Martinez will be set by the court, and he will face a maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Reyes-Martinez made his plea before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III.
According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2022, while on routine patrol south of the Dominican Republic, a maritime patrol aircraft detected a go-fast vessel navigating northward approximately 80 nautical miles south of Bani, Dominican Republic. The USS Billings was dispatched to the area when crew members observed that the vessel had no flag flown, no registration numbers and no name painted on its hull. The Dominican Republic Navy later advised that the vessel was not registered with their country. The vessel was therefore treated as one without nationality thereby subjecting it to laws of the U.S. Onboard the vessel, the USS Billings boarding team detained Reyes-Martinez and another individual and located 18 bales of cocaine weighing approximately 630 kilograms, according to court documents.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Rikhye prosecuted it.
