Suspected illegal immigrant arrested in Great Mountain area
BVI News understands that police detained a Venezuelan national who was found walking barefoot along the Great Mountain public road last week and was unable to present any form of identification.
According to reports, the police acted on information received regarding a Hispanic male who was carrying a bag and walking suspiciously in the area.
When the cops approached, the man — who said to be in his early twenties — refused to provide identification and told officers he was simply looking for a ride to Road Town. He was detained and taken to the Road Town Police Station, where inquiries confirmed that he had been residing at a building in Road Town since arriving in the territory in July 2024.
It’s understood that the police were aware of the man’s whereabouts and had made prior arrangements to detain him but it remains unclear how he entered the territory.
Our sources say the man was transported to the Castle Maria Hotel — the approved holding facility for illegal immigrants.
This case comes as the BVI continues to grapple with illegal immigration. Over the past three years, multiple groups of migrants from Haiti, South America and other nations have been intercepted on Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and other parts of the territory.
In addition to the issue of illegal entry, some undocumented migrants have been linked to serious crimes. In 2020, four Venezuelan men were arrested in connection with a major cocaine bust in Virgin Gorda, while in 2022, others were implicated in smuggling and human trafficking rings. Authorities have said such incidents highlight how illegal immigration can also pose risks to national security.
The government has been taking steps to strengthen border control. A new $6.4 million border management system, set to come online soon, will introduce passport scanning at entry points, e-visas, and digitised embarkation records. Immigration officers are also expected to receive powers to issue on-the-spot fines to illegal entrants, reducing the strain on the courts.
Officials say this and other measures are part of a broader strategy to curb illegal entry, prevent associated crimes, and balance the territory’s need for orderly migration and economic development.
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we need info on how they are entering
I SAW HIM AN WONDERED IF WAS A MENTAL CASE
They just say their name is Ronnie Skelton and they pass straight throught with no checks.
customs and immigration does wuk?
Every body doin wa they want
Its bout time!
Immigration officers and customs officers need passenger analysis training.
Wow great job (this is really sarcastic). Why’d this even make the news. If ya’ll didnt know it has a building full of illegal immigrants in town. You know the building on admin drive, the one next to the bank and the cruise pier where respectable business operate and tourist pass each time they come in. Ya’ll know the one man – where the women come out in their bras screaming down at Pablo over the music he’s blaring on his JBL speaker he got from who knows where. Wait… somebody got st***ed their recently too or not? Mmmm not sure of that last point, but I am sure we all know the spot. You know who else need a good raid check those outter island bars and resorts.
You’re welcome. Try do something that should make the news.
It have some in some old house through the bush McNamara…right in amongst the political elite.