ST. THOMAS, USVI – Emanuel Rodriguez Rodriguez, 34, of Puerto Rico, is headed to federal prison for over a decade after being sentenced on Tuesday, July 7, 2025, to 121 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy handed down the sentence after Rodriguez Rodriguez was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 25 kilograms of cocaine – a substantial haul smuggled into the U.S. Virgin Islands using a brazen, nautical scheme.
The operation unraveled on December 11, 2021, when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) spotted four jet skis roaring towards St. Thomas from Culebra, Puerto Rico, around 9:00 a.m. Aerial surveillance quickly revealed a coordinated effort. Each jet ski was piloted by a single individual, and as they neared the west side of St. Thomas, they converged on Mermaid’s Chair beach. Waiting there were four accomplices, ready to receive what the jet skis were carrying.
AMO air patrol witnessed the transfer of duffle bags from the jet skis to the waiting individuals. The operation was swift, almost rehearsed. Once loaded, the jet skis immediately turned back towards Culebra. But the jig was up. AMO vessels gave chase, intercepting the smugglers as they attempted to flee back to Puerto Rico. One driver abandoned his jet ski and ran for it, leaving a duffle bag behind. Inside, officers discovered 26 packages containing cocaine. Three other jet ski operators were apprehended at the scene.
Meanwhile, a separate team of agents from the DEA, CBP, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) turned their attention to a crucial piece of the puzzle: a red Jeep Wrangler seen parked above the beach during the loading operation. As the vehicle approached the gated exit of the Botany Bay Preserve community, agents moved in for a stop. Inside were Rodriguez Rodriguez and five other individuals. A search revealed a Glock pistol in plain view within the driver’s seat, and another Glock – this one with the serial number scratched off – hidden in the center console.
The investigation, a collaborative effort between CBP-AMO, Border Patrol, HSI, the DEA, the FBI, and the Virgin Islands Police Department, painted a clear picture of a sophisticated drug trafficking operation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Payne successfully prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands. This wasn’t a lone operation; it was part of a larger Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, designed to dismantle major criminal organizations.
OCDETF, as the DOJ explains, employs a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations threatening the United States. Rodriguez Rodriguez’s sentence sends a clear message: attempting to exploit the waterways for drug trafficking will be met with swift and severe consequences. More information on the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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