Three men who pleaded guilty to entering the territory illegally in Magistrates’ Court on Jan. 14 may face further charges, Crown prosecutors said.
Ruben Nunez, Esteban Acevedo Tapia and Joel Hernandez, who all reside in San Juan, Puerto Rico, have been in police custody since Dec. 20. During a joint operation with customs and immigration officers on that date, police seized $133,110 after searching a Cane Garden Bay guesthouse.
The men all pleaded not guilty to failing to declare more than $10,000 to Her Majesty’s Customs.
“It is the Crown’s intention to proceed against the defendants in this matter,” Senior Crown Counsel Sarah Benjamin said Monday.
She added, however, that the charges against them may change.
“The present complaint may not be the complaint the Crown is proceeding on,” Ms. Benjamin said, adding that a police investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
During their last appearance, Messrs. Tapia and Hernandez pleaded guilty to landing in the territory without leave of a customs officer, while Mr. Nunez pleaded guilty to entry without leave of an immigration officer.
The three men, who are represented by Stephen Daniels, are on remand. They are scheduled to return to court on Wednesday.