BVI News

Dominican Republic woman charged with illegal entry | Claims she sneaked in for medical reasons

The Terrance B Lettsome Airport on Beef Island

A Dominican Republic woman was brought before the Magistrate’s Court on an illegal entry charge, claiming that she broke the law for medical reasons.

Charged with one count of landing in the territory without leave from an Immigration Officer is 42-year-old Ingrid Alcantara De Polanco.

She pleaded guilty to the offence when she appeared virtually before Magistrate Ayana Baptiste-DaBreo on Tuesday.

What the court heard happened

The court heard that on a date unknown between June 27 to July 8, she landed into the territory illegally.

On July 8, while checking in at the TB Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, Immigration officers noticed that she did not have any visible entry stamp in her passport.

She was heading out with a ticket to an undisclosed destination.

The court heard that she was asked to step aside and following discussions with the authorities, she was transported to the Road Town Police Station.

While at the station, she told law enforcers that she travelled to Tortola from St Thomas, USVI on a boat and paid $1,000 for the trip.

She further said she was assisted by an unknown male who took her to a house for a few days.

She was subsequently charged with the offence before the court.

Medical reasons 

Her attorney Nelson Samuel told the court that his client was remorseful for her actions. He further said she travelled to the territory because she was diagnosed with a ‘lump in her breast’ and wanted to go to her home country to be with her four children.

Samuel then implored the court to impose a non-custodial sentence on his client who was a beautician, masseuse and domestic worker.

Confused

After hearing his mitigation, the magistrate said she was confused because the territory’s borders are closed but the USVI is open to travellers.

Magistrate DaBreo then questioned whether there weren’t any flights from St Thomas to the Dominican Republic.

No clear response was given in that regard.

The magistrate then asked for the medical document to validate her claims. The court subsequently adjourned to tomorrow, Wednesday, July 15, when the matter will continue.

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22 Comments

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  1. Why? says:

    Would anyone travel for medical care from the USVI to the BVI? Isin’t it the other way around?

    Like 23
    • Well well says:

      @ Why. She did not travel for that reason. She Smuggle in and got caught. Now what the law needs to do is find out who smuggle her in, who she came to, and Quarantine all of them . Then charge them for breaking the law.

      • I guess says:

        Did the smuggler coach her to say what she said? Remember she said she was taken by a unknown male at a house for a couple of days? She need to give up the person who smuggle her here. Hate to say it but, all these people being smuggle here is the ones that is going to cause COVID to rise in the Country. There are many more that have gotten in undetected, she just got caught.

  2. yesproblem says:

    BS Plenty of medical help in DR and St Thomas.

    Like 23
    • Common Sense says:

      The only logical reason that comes to mind is that she was probably illegal in the USVI alao and hence she can’t fly out from there.

      Like 18
  3. SO says:

    You see now, the territory may not be Covid free after all. She was caught but how many more like her that were never caught? Hmmmmm….. Just saying. The whole territory needs to be tested. There will be a tsunami when it all start.

    Like 14
    Dislike 2
  4. Hey says:

    Is this for real what am reading above. These people are getting help from people living amongst us. The government has been doing a good job at keeping us safe and these people bringing in people here and putting them up. I only hope investigation is continuing to get the others involved. So am listening to see more charges soon.

    Like 19
    Dislike 1
  5. Make BVI great again says:

    So we imprison her on taxpayer expense then deport her? What she wanted in the first place and we foot the bill.

    Hmmm

    Like 5
    Dislike 1
  6. Con game says:

    She knew what she was doing, lady please just admit you paid the smuggler a $1,000 dollars to smuggle you to the land of golden streets AKA BVI AKA the beginning of the mighty American dollar.

    Like 7
    Dislike 4
  7. More than likely says:

    Did she come to marry a LOCAL LUNATIC FOR PAPERS AND BELONGER STATUS? SOME SANTOS ARE SOME GOOD GAMERS AND LIARS. THEY KNOW HOW TO RUN THE GAMES ON THE LOCAL LUNATICS. ME NO PEKE ENGLE, BERRYYYY LIKLE ENGLE. THAT GWALLA GWALLA MESS.

    Like 4
    Dislike 5
  8. What!!!! says:

    Which “local” did she pay $1,000.00 to in order to be smuggled in here?

  9. Leaving says:

    But she was leaving the Territory – presumably to go back to the DR…

  10. Chosen says:

    We in the bvi are so back wards she was going out let her go why put her up at tax payers expence we all are human and we bvi islanders talked so bad about others look what is happening in the world today and still have so much wickedness and hatered in our hearts God will judge.

    Like 9
    Dislike 1
  11. Chosen says:

    We locals black lives don’t matter some of us think that God only created the bvi and no where else we all will stand before the creator one day.

  12. System says:

    IT IS YOUR SAME BLACK BVI LOCALS THAT IS BRINGING DOWN AND SELLING OUT THE COUNTRY FOR A FEW BUCKS. AS QUIET AS IT IS KEPT, SOMEONE IS PLANNING TO CATCH THE SMUGGLERS AND CHOP THEIR HEADS OFF SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO FIND A HEAD FLOATING IN BVI WATERS YOU KNOW WHY AND THE REASON WHY. SMUGGLERS BEWARE.

  13. island man says:

    So she was leaving and they make her stay so that they can spend more unnecessary taxes. And if she came in illegal then we ought to wear face mask and practice social distancing because we dont know if there are more illegal ones. Ask her who bring her here and get that person.

    Like 4
    Dislike 1
  14. Lily Ann says:

    Obviously s– lied ppl … stop getting worked up over what her reasons were !!!

  15. O says:

    Well the women going to her home country let she go and don’t let she in again that’s all non sence to stop the women her

  16. O gilbert says:

    Well the women going to her home country let she go and don’t let she in again that’s all non sence to stop the women her

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