Royal Caribbean Passenger Jumped Ship With $16,000 in Gambling Debt

A passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise jumped overboard into Puerto Rican waters after he racked up $16,000 in gambling losses, federal prosecutors say, per CBS News.

Jey Xander Omar Gonzalez-Diaz was arrested on Sunday after he was picked up with thousands of dollars in his pockets. He had jumped ship around 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 7 around the time that cruise passengers were leaving the ship to explore the local island.

The daring criminal was picked up and returned via jet ski.

That’s one way to enjoy a cruise

Gonzalez-Diaz leapt from Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas when it docked in San Juan, a criminal complaint by Homeland Security Investigations special agent Gabriel Santiago read.

The man was arrested by Customs and Border Protection officers near the Capitol Building. He was charged federally with failing to report the transport of monetary instruments over $10,000 from outside the United States.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Juan did not share if the man’s decision to jump ship was tied to his gambling losses. The complaint that was filed also did not declare a link between the two.

The complaint did say, however, that Gonzalez-Diaz owed Royal Caribbean $16,710.24 in outstanding debts that were “almost exclusively associated with Casino and Gaming expenses.”

Customs and Border Protection officers found him in possession of $14,600, five different IDs, and two phones when they retrieved him from the sparkling blue waters. One of the IDs belonged to a Tennessee resident, and another was a birth certificate for “Jeremy Omar Gonzalez Diaz.” He also had a Royal Caribbean boarding pass for Jeremy Diaz.

Fraud and identity theft?

Investigators inquired as to why Gonzalez-Diaz felt the need to flee the ship despite being in a foreign country.

Speaking in Spanish, the complaint alleged that he told them that he “did not want to report the currency in his possession because he thought he was going to be taxed on the duties for bringing in the currency.”

“This is an ongoing investigation, we are working with authorities and don’t have any more information to share,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said, per CBS News.

Records show that Jeremy Omar Gonzalez Diaz – whose name appeared on the identifications that were recovered – has been in federal prison in Puerto Rico since January for weapons possession and drug trafficking, the complaint revealed.

Gonzalez-Diaz, the Royal Caribbean passenger, said that Jeremy Omar Gonzalez Diaz is his brother. 

The former was released on bail after his arrest. He could face up to five years in jail or a fine of up to $250,000 if he is found guilty.