Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
Read Full BioA Royal Caribbean cruise passenger attempted an escape from authorities in Puerto Rico by jumping overboard, in what investigators say was an attempt to avoid reporting cash and paying gambling debts of over $16,000 incurred onboard.
On September 7, 2025, the Rhapsody of the Seas returned to the Port of San Juan from a Caribbean voyage. As US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) carried out routine checks around 9:15 a.m. local time, passenger Jey Gonzalez-Diaz reportedly jumped overboard.
Surveillance cameras captured the moment when a jet ski rider brought Gonzalez-Diaz to the shore.
Gambling Losses & Cash Seizure
Investigations revealed that Gonzalez-Diaz accumulated $16,710 in gambling debts during the cruise.
When CBP officers located him near the Puerto Rico Capitol Building after the incident, he was reportedly carrying $14,600 in cash, two cellphones, and five IDs, some under the names “Jeremy Diaz” and “Jeremy Omar Gonzalez-Diaz.”
Officials stated that one of the identities belonged to a person currently in federal custody. Gonzalez-Diaz claimed he was his brother. According to the criminal complaint, when asked for his full name, he told investigators: “If you guys were good at your job, you would know that.”
Gonzalez-Diaz told agents in Spanish that he jumped overboard because “he did not want to report the currency on his possession because he thought he was going to be taxed duties for bringing in the currency.”
Authorities say the stint was an attempt to circumvent federal monetary reporting requirements. Gonzalez-Diaz now faces federal charges for failing to declare cash. The violation carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. He has been released on bail.
Gambling Debts Drive Desperate Crimes
Gonzalez-Diaz’s maneuver is the latest example of the lengths people will go to when facing gambling debts.
In Indonesia, a delivery driver killed a co-worker to steal his cash to pay his online casino debts. A month earlier, a property guard killed a journalist in his home for the same reasons.
In another shocking case from China, a man from Xinjiang province tried to sell a thousand-year-old shroud to pay off his gambling debts.
In the US, a high-profile case involved MLB star Shohei Ohtani‘s former interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara. Mizuhara stole $17 million from Ohtani to cover over $40 million in gambling debts to an illegal bookie. He received a 57-month sentence.
In Texas, gambling debt drove a man to steal $683,000 from his employer. He allegedly set up to receive $20,000 every couple of days, sometimes every few weeks.
