FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Febr uar y 6, 2007 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ 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- 12922 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 L U I S A L B E R T O P E N A L B A , 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

_________________________ ( F e b r u ar y 6, 2007) B efo re T JO F L A T , H U L L an d F A Y , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

L ui s A l be r t o P e na l ba appe a l s hi s tw o c onc urr e nt135- m onth s e nt e nc e s f or po ss es si on w i th i nt entt o d i stri bu t e f i ve ki l og ra m s or m ore of c ocai ne w hi l e abo ar d a v e s s e l s u b

j e c tt o th e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f th e U n i t e d St a t e s , i n v i o l a t i o n o f 4 6 U . S. C. ap p . § 1 9 0 3 (a), (g ), an d 2 1 U . S . C . § 9 6 0 (b )(1 )(B )(i i ), an d co n sp i racy t o p o ssess w i th i nt entt o d i stri bu t e f i ve ki l og ra m s or m ore of c ocai ne w hi l e abo ar d a vess el s ubj e c tt o the j ur i s di c t i on of the U ni t e d S t a t e s , i n vi ol a t 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 ). O n app ea l , P enal ba ar gu es tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tc l e a r l y e rr e d i n de ny i ng am i t i ga t i ng- r ol e a dj us tm e nt . F orthe r e a s o n s s e t f

o r th m o r e f

u lly b e lo w , w e a f

f irm . P enal ba and seven codefendant s w er e i nd i ct ed on the abov e- m ent i on ed c ha r ge s , t o w hi c h P e na l ba pl e d gui l ty . A c c or di ng t o the pr e s e nt e nc e i nve s t i ga t i on r e p o r t ( “P S I ” ) , o n J a n u a ry 1 2 , 2 0 0 6 , th e U .S . C o a s t G u a r d o b ta in e d p e rm is s io n to bo ar d and se ar ch a P anam ani an com m er ci al fr ei gh t er , ul t i m at el y f i nd i ng 50 bal es of c oc a i ne , w hi c h w e i ghe d 1, 134 ki l ogr a m s . P e na l baw a s i de nt i f i e d a s the m a c hi ni s t , a nd the othe rs e ve n c ode f e nda nt s he l d 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 of

f i c e r s , de c k s e a m a n, a nd c ook. T he 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 uyana, and t o H ai t i . In the ea rl y m orni ng ho urs of J anuary 12 , 20 06 , the ent i re cr ew part i ci pat ed i n the tra nsfe r of the 50 bal es of cocai ne fr om a go-fa stvess el off3

the c oa s tof

V e ne z ue l a . P e na l ba w a s he l d a c c ount abl e f or1, 134 ki l ogr a m s of c o c a in e a t s e n te n c in g . P e n a lb a o b

je c te d to th e f

a ilu r e o f th e P S I to p r o v id e a n a d ju s tm e n t f

o rh is ro l e i n th e o ffen se, arg u i n g th at , u n d er th e fact s o f th i s case, h i s ro l e as a m ach i n i st w a rr a nt e d a m i t i ga t i ng r ol e . T he di s tr i c tc our tove rrul e d P e na l ba ’ s obj e c t i on, r e l y i ng on P e na l ba ’ s r ol e a s a m a c hi ni s ta nd the a m ountof drugs i nvol ve d, a nd r e a s o n in g th a t P e n a lb a ’s lab o rw a s n e c e s s a ry to th e c o c a in e s m u g g lin g s c h e m e . O n appe a l , P e na l ba c ha l l e nge s thi s rul i ng, a r gui ng tha tthe r e w a s no evi dence thathe ever ow ned, sol d, or otherw i se di stri bu t ed drug s. H e a rgues that h e w a s n o th in g m o r e th a n a d e c k h a n d in v o lv e d in c o u r ie ro p e r a tio n s , w h o s e r o le w a s to lo a d b a le s o f

d ru g s u n d e rth e d ir e c tio n o f h is s u p e r io r s , a n d w h o w a s n o t to r e c e i ve a ny of

the pr oc e e ds of

the drugs . B a s e d on hi s r ol e i n the c ont e xtof the ent i re drug tra ff

i cki ng sc hem e, P enal ba ar gu es thatthe di stri ctcourtcl ea rl y e rr ed in f a ilin g to g r a n t am in im a l o rm in o rr o le r e d u c tio n .

“ [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

ora tw o- l e ve l de c r e a s e i f the de f e nda ntw a s a m i nor p art i ci p an ti n an y cri m i n al act i v i ty, a fo u r-l ev el d ecrease if th e d efen d an tw as a4

m i ni m a l pa r t i c i pa nt , a nd athr e e - l e ve l de c r e a s e f orpa r t i c i pa t i on be tw e e n m i nora nd m i ni m a l . U . S . S . G . § 3B 1. 2. S e c t i on 3B 1. 2 pe rm i t s a n a dj us tm e ntt o the G ui de l i ne r a nge f ora de f e nda ntw ho i s s ubs t a nt i a l l y l e s s c ul pabl e tha n the a ve r a ge pa r t i c i pa nt . I d. § 3B 1. 2, c om m e nt . ( n. 3) . A m i ni m a l pa r t i c i pa nti s “ pl a i nl y a m ong the l e a s tc ul pabl e of

thos e i nvol ve d i n the c onduc tof a gr oup. ” I d. § 3B 1. 2, c om m e nt . ( n. 4) . “ [ T ] he de f e nda nt ’ s l a c k of

know l e dge orunde r s t a ndi ng of the sc op e a nd structure of the ent erpri se and o f the ac t i vi t i es of others i s i nd i ca t i ve of a ro l e as m i n i m al p art i ci p an t . ” Id . A d efen d an ti s a m i n o r p art i ci p an ti f h e i s l ess c u lp ab le th a n m o s t o th e rp a r tic ip a n ts , b u t h is r o le c a n n o t b e d e s c r ib e d a s m in im a l. I d. § 3B 1. 2, 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 nor r ol e by a pr 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 oy d, 291 F . 3d 1274, 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 nstthe other part i ci pant s, t o the ext entthatthey a re di s c e rnabl e , i n tha tr e l e va ntc onduc t . ” D e V a r on, 175 F . 3d a t945. W he r e a drug couri er ’ s r el evantcond ucti s l i m i t ed t o h i s ow n cri m i nal ac t , a di stri ctcourtm ay l egi t i m at el y c on cl ud e thatthe couri erpl ay ed an i m po rt antor es se nt i al rol e i n that5

c r i m e . S e e i d. a t942- 43. F ur the rm or e , “ w he r e the r e l e va ntc onduc ta ttr i but e d t o a defe nd anti s i dent i ca l t o [hi s] ac tual cond uct , [he] ca nn otprov e that[he] i s e nt i t l ed to a m in o rr o le a d

ju s tm e n t s im p ly b y p o in tin g to s o m e b r o a d e rc r im in a l s c h e m e in w hi ch [he] w as a m i no r part i ci pantbu tfor w hi ch [he] w as no thel d acc ou nt abl e. ” I d. a t941. A s t o the s e c ond pr ong, “ the di s tr i c tc our tm us tde t e rm i ne tha tthe defe nd antw as l es s c ul pabl e than m ostother part i ci pant s i n [hi s] re l evantcond uct . ” I d. a t944. 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 th e 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 ith r e s p e c t to th e f

ir s t p r o n g o f

th e D e V a r o n a n a ly s is , P e n a lb aw a s h e ld a c c ount abl e onl y f

orthe 1, 134 ki l ogr a m s of c oc a i ne aboa r d the ve 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. B e c a us e hi s a c tua l a nd r e l e va ntc onduc tw e r e the s a m e , P e na l bac a nnotde m ons tr a t e hi s e nt i t l e m e ntt o a m in o r - r o le r e d u c tio n b y r e ly in g o n a b r o a d e rc r im in a l s c h e m e in w h ic h h e o n ly pl a y e d a m i norpa r t . I d. a t941. M or e ove r , w i th r e s pe c tt o the s e c ond pr ong of the D e V a r on a na l y s i s , the onl y othe rpa r t i c i pa nt s di s c e rnabl e f r om the e vi de nc e a nd i nv ol ved i n the re l evantcond uctattri bu t ed t o P enal ba w er e the se ven o ther c re w m e m b e r s ; th e c o n d u c t o f p a r tic ip a n ts in a la r g e rc r im in a l c o n s p ir a c y is irr e le v a n t. I d. a t944. A l ong w i th the r e s tof the c r e w , P e na l batr a ns f e rr e d the 50 ba l e s of c oc a i ne f r om the go- f

a s tboa ta nd ont o the i rs hi p. P e na l ba , w ho s e rve d a s the6

m ac hi ni ston the vess el , prov i ded n o 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 tho se of the other c re w m e m be r s . B e c a us e P e na l ba ’ s a c tua l a nd r e l e va ntc onduc tw e r e i de nt i c a l a nd i nv ol ved 1 , 13 4 k i l og ra m s of c ocai ne, P enal ba se rved as the m ac hi ni stand p rovi ded no e vi de nc e 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 nt to th e e n te rp r is e th a n th o s e o f th e o th e rc r e w m e m b e r s , a n d P e n a lb ap 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 a m itig a tin g - r o le a d ju s tm e n t. In l i gh tof the foregoi ng , w e A F F I R M.