Rodney Dennis de Roche, a 39-year-old man from Grenada, has been sentenced to 37 months in prison. This follows his guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute while on board a vessel under U.S. jurisdiction. The sentence was handed down by District Judge Wilma A. Lewis and includes two years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

The incident occurred on November 14, 2023, when the United States Coast Guard Cutter Diligence intercepted the motor vessel Jackie Boy in international waters of the Eastern Caribbean Sea. The vessel was located approximately 116 nautical miles west of Fort de France, Martinique, in an area known for drug trafficking activities. The Jackie Boy displayed no national markings and did not comply with commands from the Coast Guard to stop. Occupants of the vessel, including de Roche and five others—Adel Munro, Arim Boniface (also known as Arkim Boniface), Dave Compton, Kevin Francis, and Darryl Pope—were observed discarding packages tied to sandbags into the ocean.

Coast Guard officers retrieved about 32 kilograms of cocaine from the water and detained all six individuals aboard the vessel. The master of Jackie Boy claimed Grenadian nationality for the vessel, which was confirmed by Grenadian officials who also granted a waiver of jurisdiction to allow U.S. authorities to prosecute.

All six defendants admitted guilt in connection with the cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Another defendant, Reinoza, received a sentence of 46 months imprisonment on August 28, 2024.

The case was investigated by both the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF aims to identify and dismantle high-level criminal organizations that pose threats to the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach.

Further details about OCDETF can be accessed at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.