CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A Puerto Rican man who smuggled about 60 pounds of cocaine into the U.S. Virgin Islands on a personal watercraft has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Emmanuel Rodriguez-Rodriguez, 33, of San Juan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with
intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said today.
Rodriguez-Rodriguez, along with Jose Torres-Russi, Ben Carrasquillosanto, Jose Martes-Gonzalez, Wilfredo
Vazquez-Lopez, Jonathan Fernandez Montesino, Esteban Borrome Diaz, Smarling Villilo De Los Santo, and Guillermo Morales, were indicted on drug trafficking conspiracy and related charges for the December 11, 2021, cocaine smuggling operation between St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Culebra, Puerto Rico.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court records, on December 11, 2021, U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) officers observed four jet skis traveling from Culebra, Puerto Rico, towards Mermaid’s Chair Beach located at Botany Bay, St. Thomas, where four individuals were awaiting their arrival. Officers later observed duffle bags being loaded onto the jet skis after which the jet skis quickly departed Mermaid’s Chair Beach and headed back in the direction of Culebra.
The officers also noticed that a red Jeep Wrangler was the only vehicle parked at Mermaid’s Chair
Beach while the transaction was ongoing. Officer pursued the four jet skis as they sped towards
Culebra. One jet ski operator abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot but left behind a duffle bag
containing 26 kilograms of cocaine.
Officers later apprehended jet ski operators Torres-Russi, Carrasquillosanto and Martes-Gonzalez. The remaining six defendants, including Rodriguez Rodriguez, were apprehended by federal agents as their vehicle attempted to exit the gated community at Botany Bay, St. Thomas. During their arrests, agents recovered two Glock pistols, one with an obliterated serial number, in the defendants’ vehicle.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted
by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Payne.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-vi/pr/eight-men-arrested-jet-ski-transfer-26-kilos-cocaine
