Ivan Van Beverhoudt, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for smuggling cocaine into the United States. He was convicted of importing and possessing with intent to distribute over 15 kilograms of cocaine.
"Van Beverhoudt betrayed his badge by committing one of the very crimes he was entrusted to prevent—smuggling dangerous drugs into our country," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Our office and its agency partners will hold accountable any law enforcement officer who abuses his authority for criminal ends, and Van Beverhoudt’s twenty-year sentence demonstrates that such abuse will be met with severe consequences."
Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, commented on the case: "This case highlights the severe repercussions for law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of trust." He added that Van Beverhoudt's actions were a grave violation and praised the efforts of HSI and its partners.
According to court information presented by U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, on January 10, 2020, Van Beverhoudt boarded a flight from St. Thomas to Atlanta carrying 16 bricks of cocaine in his luggage while traveling in an official capacity with a CBP-issued firearm to avoid TSA screening. A narcotics K-9 officer at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport detected the drugs.
On February 24, 2025, after a five-day jury trial, Van Beverhoudt was found guilty on several charges related to cocaine importation and possession with intent to distribute.
United States District Judge J.P. Boulee sentenced him on July 8, 2025, to two decades in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert, Bret R. Hobson, and Laurel B. Milam led the prosecution.
The public is encouraged by the U.S Attorney’s Office in Atlanta to learn about drug dangers through www.justthinktwice.gov.
For more details or inquiries contact: USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185; further information can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.