Foreigners lost at sea charged with illegal entry

Three foreigners, including two from the Dominican Republic, who found themselves in Jamaican waters after their boat ran out of fuel, yesterday pleaded guilty to illegal entry in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

Jose Cana, Angel Pinales and Kelvin Caraballo were each fined $8,000 or 20 days' in prison by Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague. The men were intercepted at sea on March 16 by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Marine Division aboard an unmarked vessel.

Caraballo told investigators that he was the captain of the vessel and that he travelled to Colombia from the Dominican Republic along with three other men, including Pinales, to purchase a boat. He said that he was hired to transport the boat from Colombia and was expecting to receive US$5,000 for its delivery upon return to the Dominican Republic.

He stated that he and the men were set to begin their journey to Colombia on March 3 and had three days' fuel to return. However, he said he got lost and ran out of fuel, resulting in the vessel drifting to Jamaica. It was further reported by Caraballo that they arrived in Jamaica on March 16 at 8 a.m., but he and his fellow detainees were unable to provide the contact details, name or address of the individual who hired him to make the purchase.

T.T.