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A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has been convicted of smuggling over 16 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
Ivan Van Beverhoudt, 45, of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was found guilty after a five-day jury trial, which concluded that he used his official position to bypass legal procedures and import illegal drugs.
Ivan Van Beverhoudt,
According to court evidence, on January 10, 2020, Van Beverhoudt boarded a commercial flight in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, bound for Atlanta, Georgia.
He carried two bags containing 16 bricks of cocaine in his carry-on luggage. To avoid detection during the security screening at St. Thomas, Van Beverhoudt traveled with his CBP-issued firearm, which allowed him to bypass TSA checks and further enabled him to smuggle the drugs onto the plane.
Upon arrival at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the former CBP officer was en route to his final destination of Baltimore, Maryland.
However, his attempt to evade detection was thwarted when a trained narcotics K-9 officer, stationed at the airport, alerted to the presence of drugs in Van Beverhoudt’s luggage. This led to a search, where authorities discovered the cocaine.
At the conclusion of the trial, Van Beverhoudt was convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S., importation of cocaine, conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute. The case highlights the potential for abuse of trust by individuals in positions of authority, such as CBP officers, and the severe consequences of using such positions to facilitate criminal activities.
In light of the conviction, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. emphasized the gravity of the case, stating that Van Beverhoudt “used his trusted position as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer to circumvent the law and smuggle dangerous drugs into our community.” The acting U.S. attorney also credited the successful investigation and prosecution to the hard work and collaboration between law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with support from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Bret R. Hobson led the prosecution, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel B. Milam contributing to the efforts.
Van Beverhoudt’s sentencing will be determined in the coming months, with the U.S. District Court considering the guidelines for sentencing under federal law. The case underscores the critical role law enforcement plays in ensuring that individuals in positions of trust are held accountable when they betray that trust and engage in criminal activity.
