Philipsburg: --- The prosecutor’s office on St. Maarten has filed for the extradition of two citizens of the Netherlands Antilles. The couple Raymond Registe and Madline Registe-Val is wanted in connection with their involvement with human smuggling.
The couple was arrested by Boca Raton police after they were caught shoplifting two Levi jeans in Macy’s department store. The couple is also wanted in the US Virgin Islands for a prior case of human trafficking and manslaughter.
In April this year a vessel, carrying some 25 people capsized killing about a dozen of them. Most of the victims were of Haitian and Sri Lankan decent. The boat had left St. Maarten (Simpson Bay) heading for the US Virgin Islands. Bodies of the victims were found on a reef in the British Virgin Island as the boat (Ajada) capsized after hitting a reef on January 20. A passing fishing boat had rescued 13 of the migrants that were on the fatal boat.
Prosecutor Jan Bart Daveling confirmed that the prosecutor’s office on St. Maarten has requested the extradition of the Antillean couple.
Human trafficking husband and wife fugitives nabbed in Boca Raton.
(Sun Sentinel)
BOCA RATON - A husband and wife pair of fugitives from the Netherlands Antilles who were said to be involved in a deadly human smuggling operation were arrested by Boca Raton police and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Wednesday, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raymond Registe and Medeline Registe-Val, who were both held without bond, were charged with shoplifting/retail theft Saturday after stealing two pairs of blue Levi's jeans from Macy's at Town Center Mall. The goods were valued at about $120.
The Registes were being sought by the U.S. Marshals in the U.S. Virgin Islands for a prior human smuggling case in which they were charged with criminal conspiracy, human trafficking, and manslaughter.
The two had organized the smuggling of 25 migrants from the Antilles to the U.S. Virgin Islands. A dozen of them died when the vessel hit a reef and capsized in the incident less than a year ago.
