CHANNEL SQUEEZE: Coast Guard Fines USVI Cargo Vessel Over Navigable Waterway Encroachment

A sudden regulatory bottleneck has disrupted maritime shipments between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Government House confirmed that the cargo vessel Water Spirit was hit with U.S. Coast Guard warnings and fines after a private marina expansion by Safe Harbor forced the boat to load at an alternative dock, encroaching upon a federally protected navigable waterway. While Governor Albert Bryan Jr. insists the vessels are not explicitly banned, operations remain halted until independent marine surveys can verify channel clearance. The St. Croix Sun examines the maritime filings behind the territory's latest supply chain disruption.