IN TOO DEEP

Cruise Passenger Jumps Overboard After Allegedly Running Up Massive Gambling Debt

Man accused of owing $16,000 after week-long vacation.

A passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise leaped overboard and escaped on a jet ski after allegedly running up a $16,000 gambling debt during his week-long vacation. The cruise company said Jey Gonzalez-Diaz booked onto the Rhapsody of the Seas under the name of Jeremy Diaz and racked up the debt “almost exclusively” through gaming and the casino. When the ship docked in San Juan and U.S. Customs and Border Protection came on board, Gonzalez-Diaz jumped off the vessel. Security camera footage showed him being picked up and taken to shore by a man on a jet ski. Authorities later found him at the Puerto Rico Capitol Building. A criminal complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico said he had $14,600 in cash, two phones, and five IDs in his possession. The complaint claimed that he told investigators he had jumped overboard to avoid paying tax when entering Puerto Rico, according to CBS News. Local broadcast network Wapa.TV reported that he was released on bail and faces up to five years in prison or $250,000 fine.