Tweet

Times Caribbean Reports

ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — June 30, 2025 — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Antonio Elias Ovalle Castro, a man claiming to be a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis, after he was found to have reentered the United States without legal authorization.

Castro, who was born in the Dominican Republic, was taken into custody following a multi-agency surveillance operation in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The operation began on June 26, when agents observed a green SUV parked outside a McDonald’s on Route 313. A routine check with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles revealed the vehicle was registered to Castro.

Further checks into national immigration databases revealed that Castro was not in the U.S. legally. ICE agents discreetly followed the vehicle to the TotalEnergies gas station in Time Center, where Castro and another individual were arrested and transported to an ICE detention facility on Crown Mountain.

While in custody, Castro admitted that he had previously been deported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2011 and that he reentered the U.S. through St. John in 2023, without going through legal immigration channels. Despite being born in the Dominican Republic, Castro told officials that he is a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis. Immigration officials are working to verify the legitimacy of his claim.

Castro has a history of entering the United States without authorization. Court documents reveal that he previously entered the U.S. in 2003 and 2010, allegedly using fraudulent identification documents.

At a court hearing on Friday, U.S. prosecutors requested that Magistrate Alan Teague detain Castro until trial, citing concerns that he poses a serious flight risk. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for Monday.

The incident has raised broader questions about fraudulent claims of Caribbean citizenship and the need for enhanced identity verification procedures across the region.

Stay with Times Caribbean for further updates on this developing case.