A man accused of leaping from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship as it docked in Puerto Rico has been detained after what authorities say was an attempt to avoid paying more than $16,000 in gambling charges.
Customs and Border Protection agents said Jey Gonzalez-Diaz jumped from the Rhapsody of the Seas as it disembarked at the Port of San Juan shortly after 9:15 a.m. on Sunday. The cruise line told investigators the passenger incurred $16,710 in gambling expenses "almost exclusively" during the week-long voyage.
Surveillance images and an affidavit filed by investigators show Gonzalez-Diaz in the water clinging to a jet ski and later riding on the back of the vessel as it headed to shore. He then ran from the port but was taken into custody by CBP agents near the Puerto Rico Capitol Building about 9:45 a.m., the affidavit states.
Agents allege Gonzalez-Diaz was carrying a backpack containing $14,600 in cash, a handbag, two cell phones and five identification documents. The documents displayed different names and jurisdictions, according to the complaint. A Tennessee identification card and a Puerto Rico birth certificate were issued to "Jeremy Omar Gonzalez-Diaz," the Royal Caribbean boarding pass bore the name "Jeremy Diaz," and a Social Security card and U.S. passport read "Jey Xander Omar Gonzalez Diaz." Royal Caribbean billed the gambling charges to the name on the boarding pass, the affidavit said.
When investigators asked for his real name, Gonzalez-Diaz reportedly replied, "If you guys were good at your job, you would know that," the affidavit states. Puerto Rico state records identified Jey Gonzalez-Diaz as the defendant's true name. The affidavit further notes that a man named Jeremy Omar Gonzalez-Diaz has been incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo since January; Gonzalez-Diaz told agents that man was his brother.
The Rhapsody of the Seas had departed Puerto Rico on Aug. 31 and visited Barbados before returning, according to the complaint. After arriving in San Juan, the affidavit says Gonzalez-Diaz left the ship and was taken ashore by a person operating a jet ski, dragging another rider on an inflatable craft.
Local reporting said Gonzalez-Diaz has been released on bail. Federal charges stemming from the incident could carry a penalty of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000, the court filing indicates.
The affidavit and statements from Royal Caribbean form the basis of the case outlined in federal paperwork. Authorities have not released additional details about the specific criminal counts at this stage, and court records may be updated as the investigation continues.
The incident prompted an on-the-ground response by CBP in San Juan and has drawn attention on social media after photos and video clips of the jump circulated. Cruise lines and port authorities routinely work with law enforcement when passengers are involved in alleged criminal activity, and boarding passes and credit-card charges are commonly used by investigators to trace expenditures and passenger identities.
Gonzalez-Diaz's appearance in federal court and any further legal proceedings are expected to clarify the charges and the government's case. He remains the subject of the federal complaint filed after the Port of San Juan incident.