FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT NOV 14 , 2006 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 12917 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 6 - 0 0 0 2 5 - C R - T - 2 6 E AJ U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s R O G E L I O C A R V A J A L - S A N C H E Z , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( N ove m b e r 14, 2006) B efo re W IL S O N , P R Y O R an d F A Y , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

R og el i o C arvaj al -S anchez app ea l s hi s tw o con curr ent13 5-m on th sent ence s f o rp o s s e s s io n w ith in te n t to d is tr ib u te f iv e k ilo g r a m s o rm o r e o f c o c a in e , in vi ol a t i on of

46 U . S . C . app. § 1903( a ) , ( g) , 21 U . S . C . § 960( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( i i ) , a nd c o n s p ir a c y to p o s s e s s w ith in te n t to d is tr ib u te f iv e k ilo g r a m s o rm o r e o f c o c a in e , in vi ol at i on of 46 U . S . C . app. § 1 90 3(a) , (g), (j ), and 2 1 U . S . C . § 9 60 (b)( 1)(B )( i i ), w h ile ab o a r d av e s s e l s u b je c t to th e ju r is d ic tio n o f th e U n ite d S ta te s . O n ap p e a l, C arvaj al -S anchez argues thatthe di stri ctcourtcl ea rl y e rr ed i n d enyi ng a m i no rr o l e a d j u s tme n t . Fo rth e r e a s o n s s e tf o r th mo r e f

u l l y b e l o w , w e a f

f i rm. C arvaj al -S anchez and se ven cod ef endant s w er e i nd i ct ed on the abov em e nt i one d c ha r ge s , t o w hi c h C a rva j a l - S a nc he z pl e d gui l ty . A c c or di ng t o the p resen t en ce i n v est i g at i o n rep o rt(“ P S I”), o n Jan u ary 1 2 , 2 0 0 6 , th e U . S . C o ast G uard ob t ai ned p erm i ss i on t o b oard and sear ch a P anam ani an com m er ci al f r e ig h te r , u ltim a te ly f

in d in g 5 0 b a le s o f

c o c a in e , w h ic h w e ig h e d 1 ,1 3 4 k ilo g r a m s . C a rv a ja l- S a n c h e z w a s id e n tif ie d a s th e c o o k , a n d th e o th e rs e v e n c o d e f e n d a n ts h e ld the f ol l ow i ng pos i t i ons : c apt a i n, c hi e f a nd s e c ond e ngi ne e r s , f i r s ta nd s e c ond o f f ic e r s , d e c k s e a m a n , a n d m a c h in is t. T h e f r e ig h te r ’s r o u te to o k it f r o m S p a in , to T r in id a d , to th e D o m in ic a n R e p u b lic , to G u y a n a , a n d to H a iti. I n th e e a r ly m orni ng hour s of

J a nua ry 12, 2006, the e nt i r e c r e w pa r t i c i pa t e d i n the tr a ns f e rof th e 5 0 b a le s o f

c o c a in e f

r o m ag o - f

a s t v e s s e l o f

f th e c o a s t o f

V e n e z u e la . C a rv a

ja l-3

S a n c h e z w a s h e ld a c c o u n tab le f o r1 ,1 3 4 k ilo g r a m s o f

c o c a in e a t s e n te n c in g . I n pr e pa r i ng the P S I , the pr oba t i on of f i c e rdi d notm a ke a n a dj us tm e ntt o the G ui del i nes f

or C arvaj al -S anchez’ s r ol e i n the offens e. C arvaj al -S anchez obj ec t ed t o notr e c e i vi ng am i nor - r ol e a dj us tm e nt , a r gui ng tha the w a s the c ook, apos i t i on th a t w a s p r o b ab ly “a t th e v e ry b o tto m o f th e to te m p o le ,” h a d n o in v o lv e m e n t in p la n n in g th e c r im e a n d n o p r o p r ie ta ry in te r e s t in th e d ru g s , a n d , f r o m h is b a c k g r o u n d , th e c o u r t c o u ld f in d th a t h e w a s n o t m a k in g ag r e a t d e a l o f m o n e y in th e v en tu re. C arv aj al -S an ch ez ask ed th e d i stri ctco u rtt o co n si d er n o to n l y h i s codefendant s, bu tal so other peopl e w ho w er e partof the conspi ra cyand w ho had g r e a te rg a in a n d g r e a te rr o le s th a n h is . T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t o v e rru le d C a rv a ja lSa n c h e z ’ s o b

j e c t i o n , f i n d i n g th a t , w h i l e Ca rv a j a l - Sa n c h e z “ ma y n o tb e o n th e s a me l evel naut i ca l -w i se ” a s the engi neer s, offi ce rs , and m ac hi ni st , he st i l l pl ay ed an in te g r a l p a r t in th e o f

f e n s e b e c a u s e p e o p le n e e d n u tr itio n in o r d e rto p e r f o rm th e ir j obs . T he di s tr i c tc our ta l s o f ound tha tC a rva

j a l - S a nc he z w a s i nvol ve d w i th a subst ant i al qu ant i ty of drugs, and thathi s a ctual and rel evantcond uctw er e id e n tic a l. O n appe a l , C a rva

j a l - S a nc he z c ha l l e nge s thi s rul i ng, a r gui ng tha the w a s no m o r e th a n ac r e w m a n . H e r e lie s u p o n th e f o llo w in g f

a c to r s to d e m o n s tr a te h is e nt i t l e m e ntt o am i nor - r ol e r e duc t i on: ( 1) he w a s ac om m on m a n w ho l i ve s by4

com m on m ea ns and h ad no i nt er es ti n the cocai ne on the vess el ; (2) he t oo k n o p art i n pl a nni ng oror ga ni z i ng the tr a ns a c t i on; ( 3) he l a c ke d know l e dge of the s c ope a nd s truc tur e of

the of f e ns e ; ( 4) he ha d no s upe rvi s ory a uthor i ty , di d notm a ke a ny de c i s i ons m a t e r i a l t o the of f e ns e , a nd di d notpl a n the pur c ha s e ordi s tr i but i on of the drug s; (5) he l ac ked res po nsi bi l i ty a nd i nd ependentcontrol or autho ri ty over the drugs , a nd w a s notthe be ne f i c i a ry of l a r ge a m ount s of

m one y orpr of

i t s ; a nd ( 6 ) m o s t im p o r ta n tly , h e n e v e rp o s s e s s e d af ir e a rm f o rs e c u r ity o ra u th o r ity purpos e s . H e f

ur the ra r gue s tha the w a s notal e a de roror ga ni z e r , di d not phy s i c a l l y pos s e s s the drugs , di d nots ha r e i n the pr of i t s t o be m a de f

r om di s tr i but i on, a nd ha d l e s s a uthor i ty , r e s pons i bi l i ty , ori nf l ue nc e tha n the othe rc oc o n s p ir a to r s o n th e v e s s e l.

“ [A ] d i stri ctco u rt ’ s d et erm i n at i o n o f a d efen d an t ’ s ro l e i n th e o ffen se i s a f i ndi ng of f a c tt o be r e vi e w e d onl y f orc l e a re rr or . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. D e V a r on, 175 F . 3d 930, 937 ( 11th C i r . 1999) ( e n ba nc ) . S e c t i on 3B 1. 2 of the S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s pr ovi de s f

oratw o- l e ve l de c r e a s e i f the de f e nda ntw a s am i nor part i ci panti n any cr i m i nal ac t i vi ty. U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1. 2. S ec t i on 3B 1. 2 p erm i t s a n a d ju s tm e n t to th e G u id e lin e r a n g e f o rad e f e n d a n t w h o is s u b s ta n tia lly le s s c u lp ab le tha n the a ve r a ge pa r t i c i pa nt . I d. , c om m e nt . ( n. 3) . A de f e nda nti s am i nor pa r t i c i pa nti f

he i s l e s s c ul pabl e tha n m os tothe rpa r t i c i pa nt s , buthi s r ol e c a nnotbe5

de s c r i be d a s m i ni m a l . I d. , c om m e nt . ( n. 5) . “ T he de f e nda ntbe a r s the bur de n of pr ovi ng hi s m i norr ol e by apr e ponde r a nc e of the e vi de nc e . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B oyd, 29 1 F . 3d 12 74 , 12 77 (11th C i r. 20 02 ). In det erm i ni ng a def

endant ’ s m i t i gat i ng rol e i n the offens e, the di stri ctcourt fi rs t“ m ustm ea sure the defendant ’ s r ol e a gai nstthe re l evantcond uctfor w hi ch [he] w a s he l d a c c ount abl e a ts e nt e nc i ng” a nd, s e c ond, “ m a y a l s o m e a s ur e the defe nd ant ’ s r ol e a gai nstother part i ci pant s, t o the ext entthatthey a re di sc ernabl e, in th at re lev an t co n d u ct.” D e V ar o n , 1 7 5 F .3 d at 9 4 5 . W h er e a d ru g co u rier ’s r e le v a n t c o n d u c t is lim ite d to h is o w n c r im in a l a c t, ad is tr ic t c o u r t m a y le g itim a te ly concl ud e thatthe couri erpl ay ed an i m po rt antor es se nt i al rol e i n thatcr i m e. S ee id . a t 9 4 2 - 4 3 . F u r th e rm o r e , “w h e r e th e r e le v a n t c o n d u c t a ttr ib u te d to ad e f e n d a n t is i de nt i c a l t o [ hi s ] a c tua l c onduc t , [ he ] c a nnotpr ove tha t[ he ] i s e nt i t l e d t o am i nor rol e a dj ustm entsi m pl y by poi nt i ng t o som e broader c ri m i nal sc hem e i n w hi ch [he] w a s am in o rp a r tic ip a n t b u t f o rw h ic h [ h e ] w a s n o t h e ld a c c o u n tab le .” I d . a t 9 4 1 . A s t o the se cond pron g, “ the di stri ctcourtm ustdet erm i ne thatthe defendantw as le s s c u lp ab le th a n m o s t o th e rp a r tic ip a n ts in [ h is ] r e le v a n t c o n d u c t.” I d . a t 9 4 4 . M or e ove r , r e l a t i ve c ul pabi l i ty i s notne c e s s a r i l y di s pos i t i ve , a s none of the p a r tic ip a n ts m a y h a v e p la y e d am in o ro rm in im a l r o le . I d . W i th res pectt o the fi rs tpron g o f the D e V ar on anal ys i s, C arvaj al -S anchez6

w a s h e ld a c c o u n tab le o n ly f o rth e 1 ,1 3 4 k ilo g r a m s o f c o c a in e ab o a r d th e v e s s e l, w hi c h he he l pe d t o tr a ns f e rf r om the go- f

a s tboa tont o hi s s hi p. W i th r e s pe c tt o the s e c o n d p r o n g o f

th e D e V a r o n a n a ly s is , th e o n ly o th e rp a r tic ip a n ts d is c e rn ab le fr om the evi dence and i nv ol ved i n the re l evantcond uctw er e the se ven o ther c re w m e m be r s . A s i de f

r om the c r e w ’ s t i t l e s a nd hi s r e l i a nc e on hi s pos i t i on a s c ook, C arvaj al -S anchez provi ded n o evi dence of hi s or hi s c re w m em bers ’ rol es aboard the shi p and no evi dence s ho w i ng thathi s r es po nsi bi l i t i es aboard the vess el w er e l es s i m po rt antt o the ent erpri se than the other c re w m em bers . F urtherm ore, C a rva j a l - S a nc he z di d m or e tha n j us tc ook. A l ong w i th the r e s tof the c r e w , he tr a n s f e rr e d th e 5 0 b a le s o f

c o c a in e f

r o m th e g o - f

a s t b o a t a n d o n to th e irs h ip . Be c a u s e Ca rv a

j a l - Sa n c h e z ’ s a c tu a l a n d r e l e v a n tc o n d u c tw e r e o n e a n d th e s a me and i nv ol ved 1 , 13 4 k i l og ra m s of c ocai ne, C arvaj al -S anchez provi ded n o evi dence s how i ng tha thi s r e s pons i bi l i t i e s aboa r d the ve s s e l w e r e l e s s i m por t a ntt o the e n te rp r is e th a n th e o th e rc r e w m e m b e r s , a n dC a rv a ja l- S a n c h e z p a r tic ip a te d in tr a ns f e rr i ng the c oc a i ne ont o the ve s s e l , w e hol d tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tdi d not c le a r ly e rrin d e n y in g am in o r - r o le a d ju s tm e n t. A cco rd i n g l y, C arv aj al -S an ch ez’ s sen t en ce i s AF F I RME D.