FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT A U G U ST 21, 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- 16530 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 5 - 0 0 4 5 6 - C R - T - 1 7 - MAP 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 A R L O S E N R I Q U E B E R D U G O - C A S T R O , a .k .a . E n r iq u e B e r d u g o - C a s tr o , 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

_________________________ ( A u gu s t 21, 2007) B efo re B IR C H , B A R K E T T an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: C a r l os E nr i que B e r dugo- C a s tr o appe a l s hi s 135- m onth s e nt e nc e f or pos s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e 5 ki l ogr a m s orm or e of c oc a i ne w hi l e aboa r d a2

ve s s e l 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 A pp. U . S . C . § 1 9 0 3 (a) an d (g ), 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 5 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 § 1903( a ) , ( g) , a nd ( j) , § 9 6 0 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B ) ( ii) . B e r d u g o - C a s tr o w a s o n e o f 8 c r e w m e m b e r s o f

as m a ll ve s s e l tr a ns port i ng appr oxi m a t e l y1, 200 ki l ogr a m s of c oc a i ne . O n appe a l , he ar gu es thatthe di stri ctcourterre d b y denyi ng hi m a m i t i gat i ng -r ol e r educt i on at s e n te n c in g , p u r s u a n t to U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .2 , to r e f le c t h is m in im a l o rm in o rr o le in th e o f f e n s e . 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 an o ffen se c ons t i tut e s af

a c tua l f i ndi ng t o be r e vi e w e d onl yf orc l e a re rr or , a nd the de f e nda nt be a r s the bur de n of

pr oof . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. D e V a r on, 175 F . 3d 930, 937, 939 ( 11th C i r . 1999) . T he gui de l i ne s pr ovi de f oratw o- l e ve l r e duc t i on f oram i nor part i ci pant , w hi ch i s def i ned as adefe nd ant“ w ho i s l es s c ul pabl e than m ostother p a rtic ip a n ts , b u t w h o s e r o le c o u ld n o t b e d e s c r ib e d a s m in im a l.” U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .2 cm t . (n. 5). T o d et erm i ne w hether am i no r- rol e r educt i on appl i es , a di stri ctcourt f i r s ts houl d m e a s ur e the de f e nda nt ’ s r ol e a ga i ns tthe r e l e va ntc onduc tf orw hi c h the defe nd anthas bee n h el d acc ou nt abl e. D e V ar on , 17 5 F . 3d at94 0-41 . T he di stri ct courtm ayal so m ea sure the defendant ’ s c ul pabi l i ty i n com pari son t o thatof other3

part i ci pant s i n the re l evantcond uct . Id. at94 4-45 . In do i ng so, the di stri ctcourt s houl d l ook onl y t o othe rpa rt i c i pa nt s w ho a r e i de nt i f i abl e ordi s c e rnabl e f

r om the e v id e n c e , w h o a r e in v o lv e d in th e c o n d u c t a ttr ib u te d to th e d e f e n d a n t. I d . a t 9 4 4 . In thi s c as e, B er du go -C as tro and 7 other c re w m em bers kn ow i ng l y helped tr a ns port1, 2000 ki l ogr a m s of c oc a i ne — as ubs t a nt i a l a m ountof drugs — on boa r d a ve s s e l , a nd he w a s he l d a c c ount abl e f orthi s c onduc t . F urthe r , he di d notpr e s e nt any e vi dence t o i nd i ca t e thathi s c on du ctw as l es s c ul pabl e than thatof the other c r e w m e m be r s . B e r dugo- C a s tr o’ s r ol e i n the of f e ns e w a s i de nt i c a l t o hi s r e l e va nt c o n d u c t, a n d h e f

a ile d to s h o w th a t h e w a s le s s c u lp ab le th a n o th e rid e n tif iab le part i ci pant s i n the offens e. A cc ordi ng l y, w e c anno tconcl ud e thatthe di stri ctcourt c le a r lye rr e d in f

in d in g th a t B e r d u g o - C a s tr o d id n o t q u a lif yf o ram itig a tin g - r o le r e d u c tio n . AF F I RME D.