Authorities claim Jey Gonzales Diaz jumped from the vessel to skirt a $16,000 gambling bill, and to avoid declaring over $14,000 in cash

A Puerto Rican man has lost in more ways than one after jumping off a Royal Caribbean ship on Sunday morning, September 7th. According to authorities, Jey González Díaz took the plunge after accruing a $16,000 gambling debt that he wanted to avoid settling up. He also had over $14,000 in cash and multiple ID’s on him at the time.

At the time of the incident, the ship had just returned to port in San Juan, PR from Barbados where passengers were actively disembarking. Instead of taking the gangway like his fellow passengers, he skipped the lines and jumped overboard instead. He left behind his luggage and more than 16k in gambling debt, opting to take only the $14,000 he had on him, plus a few ID’s to choose from. His plan was thwarted however, when Díaz was spotted by jet-skiers and brought to shore. He was later arrested near the Puerto Rico Capitol Building. Diaz admitted to jumping both to avoid declaring the cash he had and stick the cruise line with his unpaid gambling bill.

Diaz was charged with the federal crime of failing to report $10,000 or more in winnings to customs. Identity theft charges are also likely according to authorities, as he booked his trip in the name of his brother, Jeremy Omar González Díaz. It was easy identity to rule out Jey being Jeremy, as his brother has been in the Puerto Rican federal prison since January of 2025 on drug trafficking charges related to the distribution of Fentanyl. If Jey serves time, it’s very likely it would be at the same facility as his brother.