On July 7, 2025, Emanuel Rodriguez Rodriguez was sentenced to over a decade in prison for his role in a bold drug trafficking scheme involving jet skis.
The sentencing came more than three years after the crime occurred in December 2021, due to the complexity of the case, which involved multiple suspects, agencies, and evidence collection.
Legal proceedings were delayed by the need to coordinate between federal agencies, process forensic evidence like the recovered cocaine and firearms, and address the broader conspiracy under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program.
These factors, combined with court scheduling and plea negotiations, contributed to the extended timeline.
The judge who presided over the case and sentenced Rodriguez was Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy.
What Happened and When?
On December 11, 2021, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) detected four jet skis traveling from Culebra, Puerto Rico, toward St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The cocaine was intended to be smuggled from Culebra, Puerto Rico, to Mermaid’s Chair beach in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for distribution.
The jet skis, each operated by a single individual, were observed heading to the beach at Mermaid’s Chair in St. Thomas, where four other individuals were waiting.
During the operation, one jet ski operator fled on foot after reaching a beach in Culebra, leaving behind a duffle bag containing 26 packages of cocaine, totaling 25 kilograms. The other three operators were apprehended by law enforcement.
Who Was Involved?
The man sentenced in this case is Emanuel Rodriguez Rodriguez, a 34-year-old Puerto Rican native. He was one of several individuals involved in the conspiracy to possess and distribute the cocaine.
According to court documents, Rodriguez Rodriguez was detained along with five others in a red Jeep Wrangler spotted by CBP air patrol in the Botany Bay Preserve community of St. Thomas.
Two Glock pistols, one without a serial number, were found in the vehicle, adding to the severity of the charges.
Acting U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper emphasized the importance of the case, stating, “This sentence reflects our commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks that exploit our region’s waterways.”
The trafficking operation occurred between Culebra, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The jet skis were used to transport the cocaine across the water, a method that allowed traffickers to move quickly and evade detection.
The cocaine was intended to be offloaded at Mermaid’s Chair, a beach on St. Thomas, before being intercepted by authorities.
The motive behind the trafficking was to distribute large quantities of cocaine for profit, a common goal of drug trafficking organizations.
By using jet skis, the conspirators likely aimed to avoid traditional law enforcement checkpoints and surveillance on land, taking advantage of the open waterways between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The operation was part of a larger effort to smuggle drugs into the region, as noted in similar cases prosecuted under the OCDETF program.
The operation was thwarted through coordinated efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies.
CBP’s Air and Marine Operations used air patrols to spot the suspicious jet skis traveling from Culebra to St. Thomas. After observing the jet skis approaching Mermaid’s Chair, AMO vessels pursued the suspects back toward Culebra.
One suspect abandoned his jet ski and fled, but the cocaine was recovered from a duffle bag left on the beach. Meanwhile, DEA, CBP, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents tracked a red Jeep Wrangler linked to the operation in the Botany Bay Preserve community.
When agents stopped the vehicle, they detained Rodriguez Rodriguez and five others, recovering firearms in the process. The investigation involved collaboration with the FBI and the Virgin Islands Police Department, showcasing the power of multi-agency efforts.
Where Are They Now?
On July 7, 2025, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy sentenced Emanuel Rodriguez Rodriguez to 121 months (just over 10 years) in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in the conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 25 kilograms of cocaine.
Rodriguez Rodriguez is currently serving his sentence in a federal prison. Other individuals involved in the case, including three other jet ski operators, were apprehended, but specific details about their sentences are not provided in the available information.
Another related sentencing in the same region involved Brian Santiago Gonzalez, who received a 10-year sentence on July 1, 2025, for a similar cocaine trafficking conspiracy, indicating ongoing prosecutions in the area.
Why This Case Matters
This case is part of the broader efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which focus on dismantling high-level criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, and related crimes.
The use of jet skis to transport drugs highlights the creative methods traffickers employ to evade law enforcement, but it also underscores the effectiveness of advanced surveillance and inter-agency cooperation in stopping these operations.
The recovery of firearms further illustrates the potential for violence associated with drug trafficking, making such cases a priority for authorities.
Additional Context
This case is not an isolated incident. The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have been focal points for drug trafficking due to their strategic locations and access to waterways.
For example, a similar case in 2023 involved Carlos Velez-Lopez, who was sentenced to 70 months for possessing 30 kilograms of cocaine in St. Thomas, showing the region’s ongoing challenges with drug smuggling.
Additionally, a 2025 case in Puerto Rico charged 17 individuals with trafficking cocaine through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, indicating that authorities are intensifying efforts to combat drug networks in the region.
The U.S. Virgin Islands has a notable drug problem, especially with cocaine, due to its strategic location and waterways, which make it a key transshipment point for drugs headed to the U.S. mainland.
Cocaine, especially crack cocaine, is commonly abused in the territory, with its distribution often linked to violent crime.
While specific, up-to-date statistics on the number of cocaine users in the U.S. Virgin Islands are scarce, a 2014–2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicated that cocaine use among young adults (aged 18–25) in the region aligns with the national average, where about 4.98% of this age group reported past-year use.
Given the U.S. Virgin Islands’ population of approximately 87,000 (2020 estimate), this suggests roughly 1,000–2,000 young adults may use cocaine annually.
The sentencing of Emanuel Rodriguez Rodriguez to over 10 years in prison for trafficking 25 kilograms of cocaine via jet skis marks a significant victory in the fight against drug smuggling in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
This case serves as a reminder of the ongoing battle against drug trafficking and the importance of multi-agency collaboration in keeping communities safer.
Sources:
For the full press release, visit the U.S. Department of Justice: Puerto Rican Man Sentenced for Role in Trafficking 25 Kilograms of Cocaine on Jet Skis.
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