Royal Caribbean Passenger Jumps Ship—LITERALLY—To Allegedly Avoid $16K Gambling Debt

When 'jumping ship' isn’t just a figure of speech.

A man who authorities say jumped off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship near the Port of San Juan to avoid paying a $16,000 in gambling debt to the cruise line has been charged with a federal crime, authorities say.

Jey Gonzalez-Diaz was a passenger on Rhapsody of the Seas, which departed from the Port of San Juan for a week-long cruise to Barbados before returning September 7.

When other passengers were disembarking, Gonzalez-Diaz jumped into the water, according to the criminal complaint obtained by CBS News. Survival videos showed passing jet ski drivers rescuing Gonzalez-Diaz.

US Customs and Border Protection officers later detained Gonzalez-Diaz near San Juan. The complaint states that González-Díaz told officials he jumped off the ship to avoid reporting the money he was carrying because he believed he would be taxed. Upon further investigation, authorities soon learned that González Díaz owed $16,710.24 to the cruise line, “almost exclusively associated with casino and gaming expenses,” El Nuevo Dia reported.

According to the complaint, he was carrying two phones, five IDs, and $14,600 in cash. González-Díaz told investigators that Jeremy Omar González Díaz is his brother. Records checks of the identifications showed that Jeremy Omar González Díaz has been in federal prison in Puerto Rico since January for drug trafficking and weapons possession.

When authorities asked him for his full name, he told investigators, “If you guys were good at your job, you would know that.”

According to the Royal Caribbean website, guests can charge up to $10,000 per day to their onboard expense account for gambling at the casino. The cruise line stated that the Icon of the Seas houses the largest casino at sea.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told The New York Times that the cruise line was cooperating with authorities but declined to comment further.

Authorities have accused Gonzalez-Diaz of attempting to avoid monetary reporting requirements when traveling into the United States. If convicted, he could face a fine of up to $250,000 or a maximum five-year prison sentence.