ST. CROIX – A Grenadian man has been convicted for his role in an international drug trafficking conspiracy intercepted in the Caribbean Sea. Rodney Dennis de Roche, 39, will serve 37 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and must pay a $100 special assessment.
The sentence, handed down by District Judge Wilma A. Lewis, follows De Roche’s guilty plea to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute while aboard a vessel under U.S. jurisdiction.
According to court documents, the charges stem from an incident on November 14, 2023, when the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Diligence was patrolling international waters in the eastern Caribbean Sea. About 116 nautical miles west of Fort-de-France, Martinique, agents intercepted the motor vessel Jackie Boy in a region notorious for drug trafficking. The ship showed no indications of nationality and ignored stop orders.
As the Coast Guard approached, the ship’s occupants, including De Roche, began throwing packages tied to sandbags into the ocean. Upon collection, officers found approximately 32 kilograms of cocaine. All six people on board, including De Roche, Adel Munro, Arim Boniface (aka Arkim Boniface), Dave Compton, Kevin Francis and Darryl Pope, were taken into custody.
The ship’s captain identified it as Grenadian, a claim that was verified by Grenadian officials. In addition, Grenada granted a waiver of jurisdiction, allowing the case to be handled under American law. The six defendants subsequently pleaded guilty to their involvement in the cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
De Roche’s conviction follows that of co-suspect Reinoza, who received a 46-month prison sentence on August 28, 2024. Sentencing for the remaining suspects is pending.
The case was part of a broader effort to combat drug trafficking and organized crime in the region. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led the investigation, while the prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston.
This prosecution took place as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, a partnership that targets high-level criminal organizations. Using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach, OCDETF works to dismantle criminal enterprises that threaten the United States. More information about the program is available on the Ministry of Justice website.
For updates and more information, visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website at Justice.gov/usao-vi.
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