### F I LE D U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E LEVE NTH CI RCUI T O c t obe r 6, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN C L 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

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________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 4 - 0 0 1 0 9 - CR- T- 2 7 - TBM 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 C E S A R E S T U A R D O C R U Z T O R R E S , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

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_________________________ ( O c t ob e r 6, 2005) B efo re B IR C H , C A RN E S an d M A R C U S , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: C e s a rE s tua r do C ruz T orr e s ( “ T orr e s ” ) appe a l s hi s 97- m onth s e nt e nc e f or2

tw o drug c ha r ge s . O n appe a l , T orr e s a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourtc l e a r l ye rr e d by de ny i ng hi s r e que s tf

oram i nor - r ol e r e duc t i on pur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 3B 1. 2( b) ( 2 0 0 5 ) . W e A F F I R M . I . B AC KG RO UN D A cc ordi ng t o the P re se nt ence Invest i gat i on R eport , a U . S . C oastG uard t ea m boa r de d af

i s hi ng ve s s e l , the “ E l A l m i r a nt e , ” on 7 M a r c h 2004, a nd s e i z e d 133 b al es o f co cai n e, w ei g h i n g 2 , 6 2 9 k i l o g ram s. T he E l A l m i rant e had a four-man c r e w a nd one c apt a i n. T orr e s w a s one of f ourc r e w m e m be r s aboa r d the s hi p. T he E l A lm ir a n te h a d o b ta in e dth e c o c a in e a t s e af r o m a n o th e rf

is h in g v e s s e l, th e “S ie te M a r e s .” T h e C o a s t G u a r d la te rin te r c e p te d th e S ie te M a r e s , w h ic h h a d s ix c r e w m e n a n d ac ap ta in , a n d f o u n d tr a c e s o f

c o c a in e ab o a r d th a t v e s s e l. I n atw o - c o u n t in d ic tm e n t, ag r a n d ju ryc h a r g e d T o rr e s a n d o th e rd e f e n d a n ts w i th : ( 1 ) p o s s e s s i o n w i th th e i n t e n tt o d i s tr i b u t e c o c a i n e , i n v i o l a t i o n o f 4 6 U . S. C. app. § 1903( a ) , ( g) , 18 U . S . C . § 2, a nd 21 U . S . C . § 960( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( i i ) , ( C ount1) ; a nd ( 2 ) c o n s p i r a c yt o p o s s e s s w i th i n t e n tt o d i s tr i b u t e c o c a i n e , i n v i o l a t i o n o f 4 6 U . S. C. app. § 1 90 3(a) , (g), (j ), and 2 1 U . S . C . § 9 60 (b)( 1)(B )( i i ), (C ou nt2). T he di stri ct c ourta c c e pt e d T orr e s ’ s gui l typl e aa s t o C ount s 1 a nd 2. T he pr oba t i on of

f i c e rde t e rm i ne d tha tT orr e s ’ s ba s e of f e ns e l e ve l w a s 38, pur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 2D 1. 1( c ) ( 1) , be c aus e the of f e ns e i nvol ve d m or e tha n 1503

k ilo g r a m s o f

c o c a in e . S in c e T o rr e s m e t th e f iv e c r ite r ias e t f

o rth in U .S .S .G . § 5C 1. 2, s a f

e tyva l ve , the pr oba t i on of f i c e rr e duc e d hi s of

f e ns e l e ve l bytw o, r e s u ltin g in a n a d

ju s te d o f f e n s e le v e l o f

3 6 . N o a d

ju s tm e n t w a s g iv e n f

o rh is r o le i n the offens e. T orre s w as grant ed a tw o-l evel re du ct i on i n h i s off ense l evel as an adj ustm entfor hi s a cc ept ance of re spon si bi l i ty pursuantt o U . S . S . G . § 3 E 1. 1(a) , a nd aone - l e ve l r e duc t i on f ora s s i s t i ng the author i t i e s i n the i nve s t i ga t i on of the of f e ns e pur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 3E 1. 1( a ) a nd ( b) , r e s ul t i ng i n at ot a l of f e ns e l e ve l of 33 . T orre s had no cr i m i nal hi st ory poi nt s, so he w as as si gn ed a c ri m i nal hi st ory cat eg o ry o f I, resu l t i n g i n a g u i d el i n e i m p ri so n m en tran g e o f 1 3 5 -1 6 8 m o n th s. T orr e s obj e c t e d t o the of f i c e r ’ s f a i l ur e t o pr ovi de atw o- l e ve l r e duc t i on f or h a v in g am in o rr o le in th e o f f e n s e , p u r s u a n t to U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .2 ( b ) . A c c o r d in g to T orre s, hi s r ol e i n the conspi ra cyou gh tt o b e c om pare d t o the rol es of hi gh er -l evel c o n s p ir a to r s in v o lv e d in p la n n in g th e im p o rta tio n o f c o c a in e , r a th e rth a n to h is fe l l ow cr ew m em bers w ho w er e i nv ol ved o nl y i n m ov i ng the cocai ne betw ee n sh i p s. A tthe se nt enci ng hear i ng , the courtov errul ed T orre s’ s obj ec t i on thathe w as e n title d to am in o rr o le r e d u c tio n , f in d in g th a t T o rr e s w a s b e in g h e ldr e s p o n s ib le o n lyf o rth e q u a n tityo f

c o c a in e th a t w a s p r e s e n t o n th e E l A lm ir a n te a n d th a t h is r ol e a s one of

f i ve c r e w m e m be r s on the ve s s e l w a s notm i nori n r e l a t i on t o the4

c onduc tw hi c h w a s a ttr i but e d t o hi m . T he c ourta l s o r e j e c t e d T orr e s ’ s a r gum e nt thathi s c on du ctshou l d b e c om pare d t o the cond uctof un i dent i fi ed hi gh er -l evel co n sp irato rs . P u rs u an t t o a m o ti o n fo r d o w n w ar d d ep ar tu re b as ed o n d ef en d an t’ s s ubs t a nt i a l a s s i s t a nc e t o author i t i e s unde rU . S . S . G . § 5K 1. 1, the c ourti m pos e d a sen t en ce o f 9 7 m o n th s.

I I . DI S CUS S I ON O n appe a l , T orr e s a r gue s tha tthe s e nt e nc i ng c ourtc l e a r l ye rr e d i n de ny i ng h im am in o rr o le a d

ju s tm e n t. T o rr e s c la im s h e is n o th in g m o r e th a n a“m u le ” in th is tr a n s a c tio n , a n d th a t h is a c tio n s o f m o v in g b a le s o f

c o c a in e f

r o m o n e v e s s e l to another s ho ul d b e c om pare d t o the ac t i vi t i es of un i dent i fi ed hi gh er -l evel m em bers w h o p la n n e d th e o p e r a tio n , r a th e rth a n to th e c o n d u c t o f h is f e llo w c r e w m e m b e r s . S i m pl y bec ause the cond uctof hi s f el l ow cr ew m em bers w as no m ore s er i ou s than h is o w n , T o rr e s a r g u e s th a t h e s h o u ldn o t b e p r e c lu d e d f r o m r e c e iv in g am in o rr o le r e duc t i on. A sen t en ci n g co 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 an o ffen se c ons t i tut e s af

a c tua l f i ndi ng tha ti s r e vi e w e d f orc l e a re rr or . S e e U ni t e d S t a t e s v. R odr i gue z D e V a r on, 175 F . 3d 930, 937 ( 11th C i r . 1999) ( e n ba nc ) . T he de f e nda nt bear s the bu rden of prov i ng , by a pre po nd er ance of the evi dence, thathe i s e nt i t l ed5

t o ar ol e r e duc t i on. S e e i d. a t939. T h e G u id e lin e s p r o v id e f o raf o u r - le v e l r e d u c tio n f

o rad e f e n d a n t w h o a c ts as a m i ni m al part i ci pant , a tw o-l evel re du ct i on for am i no r part i ci pant , and a three l e v e l r e d u c t i o n f

o rc a s e s f

a l l i n g i n b e twe e n th e m i n o ra n d m i n i m a l l e v e l . U. S . S . G. § 3 B 1 . 2 . A m i n i m al p art i ci p an ti s a d efen d an tw h o i s “ p l ai n l y am o n g th e l east c ul pabl e of

thos e i nvol ve d i n the c onduc tof agr oup, ” U . S . S . G . § 3B 1. 2, co m m en t . (n . 4 ), w h i l e a m i n o r p art i ci p an tm ean s an y p art i ci p an t“ w h o i s l ess cul pabl e than m ostother part i ci pant s, bu tw ho se rol e c ou l d n otbe desc ri bed as m in im a l,” U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .2 , c o m m e n t. ( n .5 ) . T o de t e rm i ne w he the rade f e nda nti s e nt i t l e d t o am i t i ga t i ng- r ol e r e duc t i on, the di s tr i c tc ourtm us tf i r s tm e a s ur e the de f

e nda nt ’ s r ol e i n the of

f e ns e a ga i ns tthe r e l e v a n tc o n d u c tf

o rwh i c h h e h a s b e e n h e l d a c c o u n t ab l e . S e e R o d r i g u e z De V a r on, 175 F . 3d a t940. I n c a s e s w he r e the de f e nda nti s adrug c our i e r , r e l e va nt f a c tua l c ons i de r a t i ons i nc l ude , buta r e notl i m i t e d t o: ( 1) the a m ountof drugs i nvol ve d; ( 2) the f

a i rm a rke tva l ue of

the drugs i nvol ve d; ( 3) the a m ountof co m p en sat i o n recei v ed b y th e co u ri er; (4 ) th e co u ri er’ s eq u i ty i n t eresti n th e d ru g s, i f a ny ; ( 5) the c our i e r ’ s r ol e i n pl a nni ng the s c he m e ; a nd ( 6) the c our i e r ’ s r ol e , or i nt ended rol e, i n the di stri bu t i on of the drug s. S ee i d. at94 5. S ec on d, the court m a yc om pa r e the de f

e nda nt ’ s c ul pabi l i tyt o tha tof othe rpa rt i c i pa nt s i n the r e l e va nt6

c onduc t , but“ onl yt o the e xt e nttha tthe ya r e i de nt i f i abl e ordi s c e rnabl e f

r om the evi dence. ” I d. at94 4. “ T he cond uctof part i ci pant s i n any l ar ger c ri m i nal c ons pi r a c yi s i rr e l e va nt . ” I d. W e co n cl u d e th atth e co u rtd i d n o tcl earl y err b y d en yi n g T o rres’ s req u est f o ram in o r - r o le r e d u c tio n b e c au s e : ( 1 ) it c o rr e c tlya s s e s s e d T o rr e s ’s r o le in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e c o n d u c t f o rw h ic h h e w a s h e lda c c o u n tab le , a n d n o t in c o n n e c tio n w ith s o m e la r g e rc r im in a l e n te rp r is e ; a n d ( 2 ) T o rr e s f a ile d to d e m o n s tr a te th a t h e w a s le s s c u lp ab le th a n th e m a jo r ityo f id e n tif iab le p a rtic ip a n ts in th e o f f e n s e . I I I . CONCL US I ON T o rr e s ap p e a ls h is 9 7 - m o n th s e n te n c e f o rp o s s e s s io n w ith in te n t to d is tr ib u te c oc a i ne a nd c ons pi r a c yt o pos s e s s a nd di s tr i but e c oc a i ne . A s w e ha ve e xpl a i ne d, the c ourtdi d note rrw he n i tde ni e d T orr e s ’ s r e que s tf oram i nor - r ol e r e duc t i on of h i s s e n t e n c e . Ac c o r d i n g l y , we AF F I RM .