FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT A ugus t 2, 2006 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- 11072 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 5 - 0 0 3 8 5 - CR- T- 1 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 F A S T I N O G A R C I A - A R R I E T 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

_________________________ ( A u gu s t 2, 2006) B efo re C A RN E S , H U L L an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: F as t i no G ar ci a- A rr i et a app ea l s hi s 210 -m on th con curr entse nt ence s i m po se d2

a f t e rhe pl e d gui l ty t o one c ountof pos s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e f i ve ki l ogr a m s orm or e of

c oc a i ne w hi l e on boa r d a ve s s e l s ubj e c tt o the j ur i s di c t i on of 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 ) a n d ( g ) a n d 2 1 U . S. C. § 9 6 0 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B ) ( ii) , a n d o n e c o u n t o f 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 i ve ki l ogr a m s orm or e of c oc a i ne w hi l e on boa r d a 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 U . S . C . app. § 1903( a ) , ( g) , a nd ( j ) a nd 21 U . S . C . § 960( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( i i ) . A f t e rr e vi e w , w e va c a t e a nd r e m a nd. I . B AC KG RO UN D G a r c ia - A rr ie ta a n d h is c o d e f e n d a n ts w e r e s p o tte d in a “g o - f a s t” b o a t in i n t ern at i o n al w at ers b y th e U n i t ed S t at es C o astG u ard . U p o n o b serv i n g th e C o ast G ua r d, G a r c i a - A rr i e t a a nd hi s c ode f e nda nt s e nga ge d i n e va s i ve m a ne uve r s a nd b e g a n je ttis o n in g o v e rb o a r d b a le s o f w h a t w a s la te rd e te r m in e d to b e c o c a in e . A ft erthe cr ew re fuse d request s t o st op the “ go -f as t ” boat , the C oastG uard ut i l i ze d d i s a b l i n g f

i r e t o i n c ap a c i t a t e th e b o a t ’ s e n g i n e s . A p p r o x i ma t e l y 1 , 5 0 0 k i l o g r a ms o f c o c a i n e u l t i m a t e l y we r e r e c o v e r e d f r o m th e b o a ta n d th e wa t e r . An in v e s tig a tio n r e v e a le d th a t G a r c ia - A rr ie ta w a s th e c ap ta in o f th e “g o - f

a s t” b o a t, w h ile h is c o d e f

e n d a n ts a c te d a s c r e w m e n . T h e p re se n ten ce in v es ti g atio n re p o rt (“P S I” ) c alcu lated G ar cia- A rr ieta’s base offe nse l evel as 38 un der U . S . S . G . § 2 D 1. 1(c) , base d o n the fa ctthatG ar ci a-3

A rr i e t a a tt e m pt e d t o a s s i s ti n the di s tr i but i on of appr oxi m a t e l y 1, 500 ki l ogr a m s of c o c a in e . T h e P S I in c lu d e d a tw o - le v e l e n h a n c e m e n t b a s e d o n G a r c ia - A rr ie ta ’s r o le as the capt ai n o f the bo at , pu rs uantt o U . S . S . G . § 2 D 1. 1(b)(2)(B), and a three -l evel r e d u c tio n f

o ra c c e p ta n c e o f

r e s p o n s ib ility f

o rh is o f f e n s e , p u r s u a n t to U .S .S .G . § 3E 1. 1(a) , (b). T hu s, G ar ci a- A rr i et a had a t ot al offe nse l evel of 37 and cri m i nal hi s t ory c a t e gory of

I , r e s ul t i ng i n a n a dvi s or y G ui de l i ne i m pr i s onm e ntr a nge of 210 to 2 6 2 m o n th s . T h e P S I d id n o t r e c o m m e n d as a f e ty - v a lv e r e d u c tio n p u r s u a n t to U . S . S . G . §§ 2D 1. 1(b)(7), 5C 1. 2 b as ed on the go vernm ent ’ s a ss ert i on thatG ar ci aA rr ie tah a d n o t f

u lly c o o p e r a te d . A tse nt enci ng , G ar ci a- A rr i et a obj ec t ed t o the fa ctthathe di d n otre ce i ve a s a f e ty - v a lv e r e d u c tio n . T h e g o v e rn m e n t a s s e r te d th a t G a r c ia - A rr ie ta h a d n o t f u lly coop er at ed w i th the go vernm entand h ad no tdi sc l osed al l the i nform at i on of w hi ch h e w a s a w a r e . T h e g o v e rn m e n t s p e c if ic a lly n o te d th a t G a r c ia - A rr ie ta r e f u s e d to re veal the i dent i ty of a ny co-c on spi ra t ors w ho had p rovi ded h i m w i th g l ob al p o s itio n in g s y s te m ( “G P S ” ) c o o r d in a te s f o rth e “g o - f

a s t” b o a t. G a r c ia - A rr ie ta d id nott e s t i f y a tthe he a r i ng. T he di s tr i c tc our tove rrul e d G a r c i a - A rr i e t a ’ s obj e c t i on, s t a t i ng tha t“ the c om pl e t e ne s s of [ G a r c i a - A rr i e t a ’ s di s c l os ur e ] i s i n the ha nds of the go vernm ent , and t hi s C ou rti s goi ng t o h on or that . ” T he di stri ctcourtl at erst at ed thati tw as no tthe di stri ctcourt ’ s r ol e t o d et erm i ne w hether G ar ci a- A rr i et a hadThe Sentenc ing Guidelines provide f or a two- level “sa fety-valve ” re duction in the 1 of fens ele ve l f

or c e rt ain d rug -re late d c rime s if

thede fendant m e e ts f

ivec riteri a

a s set f or th in U.S.S.G. § 5C1.2 and 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f). U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(7) . The fif th safety-valvefac tor require s the defendant to show that: “not later tha n the time of the sentencinghearing, the defendant has truthfully

provided to the Government all information and evidenc e the de fenda nt has conc erningthe offense or of fense s that werepart of thesame c ourse of conduct or

of a common schemeor plan . . . .”18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(5) ; U.S.S.G. § 5C 1.2(a) (5). 4 b een tru th fu l as fo l l o w s: I ti s notthe r ol e of

the C our tt o de t e r m i ne w he the rornoty ou ha ve been com pl et e a nd truthful w i th regar d t o w hatyou h ave t ol d the l aw e n f o r c e m e n t a g e n ts . W h a t th e y k n o w th is C o u r t is n o t p r iv ile g e d to . I f th e ire v a lu a tio n is th a t y o u h a v e n o t b e e n c o m p le te , th e C o u r t is re l yi ng up on the i ss ue of com pl et enes s w i th regard t o the sa fe ty val ve. T he di s tr i c tc our ts e nt e nc e d G a r c i a - A rr i e t a t o 210 m onths ’ i m pr i s onm e nta nd f i ve y e a r s o f s u p e r v is e d r e le a s e o n e a c h c o u n t, to ru n c o n c u rr e n tly . G a r c ia - A rr ie ta t i m e l y appe a l e d. I I . DI S CUS S I ON O n ap p e a l, G a r c ia - A rr ie ta a r g u e s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t e rr e d w h e n it de f e rr e d t o the gove rnm e nt ’ s a s s e s s m e ntof the truthf

ul ne s s a nd c om pl e t e ne s s of th e in f o r m a tio n h e p r o v id e d r e g a r d in g h is o f f e n s e c o n d u c t in c o n n e c tio n w ith h is re qu es tfor “ sa fe ty- val ve” r el i ef . G ar ci a- A rr i et a c i t es U ni t ed S t at es v. E spi no sa , 1 1 7 2 F .3 d 7 9 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) , in s u p p o r t o f h is a r g u m e n t. W e a gree w i th G ar ci a- A rr i et a thatE spi no sacont rol s thi s c as e. In E spi no sa , the di stri ctcourtdefe rr ed t o the go vernm ent ’ s a ss es sm entof the truthful ness of a s ta te m e n t th e d e f

e n d a n t p r o v id e d to s u p p o r t h is r e q u e s t f o rs a f e ty - v a lv e r e lie f

.5

E s pi nos a , 172 F . 3d a t796- 97. W e va c a t e d a nd r e m a nde d f orr e s e nt e nc i ng, hol di ng tha t“ [ t ] he di s tr i c tc our te rr e d i n de f e rr i ng t o the G ove rnm e nt ; the r e s pons i bi l i ty f or de t e r m i ni ng the truthf

ul ne s s of the i nf or m a t i on the de f

e nda ntpr ovi de d t o the G o v e rn m e n t w a s th e c o u r t’s .” I d . a t 7 9 7 . I n r e s ol vi ng the pa rt i e s ’ a r gum e nt s c onc e rni ng the c om pl e t e ne s s a nd truthful ness of G ar ci a- A rr i et a’ s di sc l osure i n thi s c as e, the di stri ctcourtst at ed that

“ the c om pl e t e ne s s of

[ G a r c i a - A rr i e t a ’ s di s c l os ur e ] i s i n the ha nds of the gove rnm e nt , a nd thi s C our ti s goi ng t o honortha t ” a nd “ [ i ] ti s notthe r ol e of the C ou rtt o d et erm i ne w hether or notyou h ave been com pl et e a nd truthful w i th regard t o w hatyou h ave t ol d the l aw enforce m entagent s. ” T hi s w as an i m prop erdefe rr al t o the gove rnm e ntof

the di s tr i c tc our t ’ s r e s pons i bi l i ty f orde t e r m i ni ng the truthf ul ne s s a nd c om pl e t e ne s s of G a r c i a - A rr i e t a ’ s di s c l os ur e . S e e i d. W hi l e the di s tr i c tc our ts houl d c e r t a i nl y c ons i de rthe gove rnm e nt ’ s e va l ua t i on, i ti s the di stri ctcourt ’ s ul t i m at e dut y t o m ake afa ctfi nd i ng as t o w hether adefe nd ant“ has truthf ul l y pr ovi de d t o the G ove rnm e nta l l i nf or m a t i on a nd e vi de nc e the de f e nda nt has c on ce rni ng the offens e or off ense s thatw er e par tof the sa m e c ou rs e of c on du ct o ro f a c o m m o n s c h e m e o rp l a n . . . . ” 1 8 U. S . C . § 3 5 5 3 ( f ) ; U. S . S . G. § 5C 1. 2( a ) ( 5) . T he r e f

or e , w e m us tva c a t e a nd r e m a nd t o the di s tr i c tc our tf orthe lim ite d p u rp o s e o f

a llo w in g th e d is tr ic t c o u r t to m a k e th e r e q u ir e d f a c t f in d in g a s toWe do not sugg est that on rema nd the district court must impose any particula r sentenc e 2 or that the district cour

t is not free to impose the same sentenc e. Furthermore, as this is a limited rema nd to permit the district court to deter mine the truthfulness and c ompleteness of G arc iaArrieta’s disclosure , Garcia- Arrieta may not re-a rgue issues alre ady

or nec essarily

decide d duringthe first sentenc ing which either have be en af

firmed in this appeal or could havebeen but were not raised by

him during this appe al. See United States v. D avis, 329 F.3d 1250, 1252 (11th Cir. 2003) (e xplaining that when the a ppellate c ourt issues a limited mandate, “the trial court is re stricted in the ra ng e of issues it may

consider on remand” ). 6 the truthf ul ne s s a nd c om pl e t e ne s s of G a r c i a - A rr i e t a ’ s di s c l os ur e . T he bur de n of proo f on t he i ss ue l i es w i th G ar ci a- A rr i et a. A l tho ug h w e vac at e G ar ci a- A rr i et a’ s s ent ence s, w e poi ntou tthathe ra i se s n o ch al l en g e t o th e ad v i so ry G u i d el i n es cal cu l at i o n o r ran g e o th er th an th e safetyval ve i ss ue. T hu s, on re m and, the on l y i ss ue t o b e a dd re ss ed i s w hether G ar ci aA rr i e t a i s e nt i t l e d t o a s a f e ty - va l ve r e duc t i on. 2 I I I . CONCL US I ON F orthe a bove r e a s ons , w e va c a t e G a r c i a - A rr i e t a ’ s s e nt e nc e s a nd r e m a nd f or f ur the rpr oc e e di ngs c ons i s t e ntw i th thi s opi ni on. V AC AT E D A ND RE MAND E D.