We see lots of stories about people trying to sneak into the U.S. from Cuba. The reverse route is less common. A 63-year-old guy from Texas is facing charges after he stole a boat in Key West and took it all the way to Cuba.
His name is Floyd Devasier. A 38-year-old woman was with him but hasn’t been I.D.’d. It’s not clear if she knew what was happening or not.
He rented a 26-foot fishing boat last Tuesday from a place called Beach Weekend Key West Marina. He was supposed to have it for two days but never brought it back.
He was heading due south when the on-board GPS tracker cut out. They say he was about 30 miles south of Key West when they lost track of him. Someone on another boat saw him booking it toward Cuba and called it in. Then Cuba’s coast guard scooped him up and got in touch with Homeland Security.
He’s now back in the U.S., facing charges for “hiring or leasing with the intent to defraud.” But last we heard, the boat was still there.
The owner of the rental company said he isn’t sure if they’ll get it back or not. He laughed and said, “How in the world did we end up losing a boat to Cuba? I didn’t think that was even in play.”
No official word on whether Floyd was trying to sell the boat, smuggle drugs, or just wanted to see Havana. But it turns out it wasn’t his first rodeo. He did the SAME THING in 2019, and that boat ALSO ended up in Cuba. His rap sheet includes several convictions for drug-related crimes.
(His mugshot doubles as a reminder: Don’t forget to reapply that sunscreen.)
