Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., Disaster Recovery Office Director Adrienne Williams-Octalien and other officials addressed the public from the Westin St. Thomas Monday amid the first of two Rebuild USVI industry days, meant to pair local contractors with the larger firms tapped to handle large-scale disaster recovery projects.
“This is a tremendous undertaking, but we wanted to ensure that we create the opportunity for our local contractors to hear about all of the processes to engage with these prime contractors,” Williams-Octalien said before listing several joint ventures created specifically for recovery work. “So we are pleased to be able to put at least $20 billion in motion for all of the rebuild efforts and demonstrate to our federal funders that the territory is poised to move forward with $24 billion of funding that we have received to rebuild after hurricanes Irma and Maria.”
Bryan added that the territory must spend at least $7 million every day, “Saturday and Sunday,” in order to access all of the federal funds obligated to the U.S. Virgin Islands before they expire.
“So there’s a lot of work, and there’s a lot of opportunity out there,” he said. “I told the contractors this morning — our local contractors — start thinking ‘collaborate.’ Start thinking ‘cooperate.’ Stop thinking ‘compete,’ because it’s going to take us working together to really get these projects done. And trust me, there’s food on the table for everybody and then some.”
Monday’s briefing came during the fourth week of a federal government shutdown, which has critical services like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in limbo. Bryan reiterated his commitment to provide food assistance for approximately 24,000 Virgin Islanders in November by tapping into the territory’s “Rainy Day” funds.
“We will provide every SNAP household in the Virgin Islands with half of its November monthly benefit using local funds so families can buy groceries while the federal process is on pause,” he said. “We have coordinated this in lockstep with the 36th Legislature to do it by the book and at … the speed of light.”
The Legislature is slated to meet this week to formally authorize the move, and Bryan said the departments of Human Services and Finance will be prepared to send out checks to beneficiaries as soon as the measure is approved.
“Why checks? Because reprogramming the system will take way too long, and our families cannot eat red tape,” he said. “They don’t want to hear excuses, so we’ll be making sure we get those out.”
Bryan said the Virgin Islands government could continue providing food assistance until 2026 if the federal shutdown persists. Senate President Milton Potter said the assistance was “not a matter of federal procedure or political strategy.”
“It is a question of basic sustenance and human dignity,” he said.

A husband and wife were taken into custody Sunday at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport while attempting to leave the territory after being charged in connection with the sexual assault of a 7-year-old child, the Virgin Islands Police Department reported.

Police said the arrests of 54-year-old Elliot Navarro and 41-year-old Omayra Navarro followed an investigation launched in January 2024, when personnel at the Juanita Gardine School reported the assault to the School Security Bureau. Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Bureau determined that the couple sexually abused the minor at their home, according to the police report.

The case was referred to the V.I. Attorney General’s Office, and an arrest warrant was issued on Sept. 26 by a magistrate judge of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. The Navarros were charged with aggravated rape in the first degree, first-degree assault, unlawful sexual contact, and child abuse. Bail was set at $150,000, according to the arrest warrant, the police report stated.

Police said the couple was detained at the airport Sunday and transported to the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s Rainbow Building for booking. Unable to post bail, they were remanded to the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility pending their advice of rights hearing.