Dug a hole out by the cistern at his house, and into the ground it went. You don't have to do anything," she says in the documentary, mimicking the police pitch to her husband. What landed on the tape was enough to get the Homeland Security Investigations unit involved. "We're a casualty of bulls**t.". ", A post shared by Jordan Lott (@jlott666) on Apr 5, 2019 at 12:09am PDT, RELATED:Who Is Connor Cruise's Fianc? What makes a great movie is whether the audience responds to it. [Director Theo Love] made me do it 50 times at least," Hyden said. After fixating on Julians story about the $2 million dollars worth of cocaine lying in the sand, he decided to dig it up. New Details About Silvia And Why Nicole Kidman Is Banned From Their Wedding, A post shared by Raoni Barone (@raonibarone), 5 Strangest, Most Bizarre Rumors About Elizabeth Holmes, Founder Of Now-Defunct Theranos, Woman Says She Quit Her Job On Her First Day After She Was Refused A Lunch Break, 'Love Island' Host Maya Jama Has A New Rule In Her Dating Life After Breakups From Ben Simmons & Stormzy, Why Everyone Turned On Mindy Kaling 8 Reasons Fans Are Calling Her Out. But Im hanging my hat on you. Youre Puerto Rican; you can do things that a gringo cannot do down there.. He lives in With the help of Deewho spends Cocaine Island behind a skull bandannaand Carlos, a supposed drug smuggler with his own airplane, Randy hunts down the buried cocaine. We cover A to Z, which mostly corroborates everything I already know from the court documents and wiretap transcripts, but I feel as if Rodney holds back a little, as if theres some door of his Ive failed to knock on. The 2023 Critics Choice Awards Was Chock-Full of Stone-Cold (and Coldstone), Drake Used His New Video to Reveal Himself As the Proud Owner of Pharrell's Iconic Jewelry, Every Piece of Menswear You Should Own in 2023, White Tide: A Brief History of Cocaine Washing Up on Beaches, Do you have any idea how much blow gets dumped in the ocean every year? #CocaineIsland pic.twitter.com/hmTenAL5v4, Zachary Bell (@zacharyebell) April 7, 2019, RELATED:5 Strangest, Most Bizarre Rumors About Elizabeth Holmes, Founder Of Now-Defunct Theranos, In a 2018 interview with TheDaily Mail, Hyden said: "Look, its the stupidest thing Ive ever done in my life; Im not proud of it. Fast forward to 2019, and Hyden has survived to tell the story of what happened next. Carlos and Andy look for him independently. owner of a successful construction company. Rodney eyeballs the spot eight feet off the cistern, right where its supposed to be. Howell, the close-knit neighborhood's resident hippie, had moved to the small island of Culebra off the coast of mainland Puerto Rico in 1986 to work in sea turtle preservation. For more on the possible buried drug cache, it will be necessary to discuss major spoilers from Netflix's The Legend of Cocaine Island. After two failed missions to Puerto Rico, Rodney hands off the map to Carlos, trusting that the smuggler wouldn't cut him out of the deal. Later, after Carlos meets Hyden with the drugs, Hyden is arrested for possession of five kilograms or more of cocaine, with the intent to distribute. Source:IMDb. But he cut some into a jelly jar he kept in the kitchen, the way you keep nutmeg around for the rare party that requires eggnog. Required fields are marked *. How did you wind up taking on the project? That morning, the first time Danny mentions it, Theres a broader application. Julian and his wife kept looking for the sea turtles, but not for much longer. No sweat. While the judge considers the sentencing, Rodney and Mark file a motion arguing for leniency, based on a new recommendation from Attorney General Eric Holders office that nonviolent drug offenders receive reduced sentences. For hundreds of years, on account of people eating the turtles and their eggs (the eggs an alleged aphrodisiac), the turtles numbers had been dwindling. That lingered like campfire smoke in a sweater. 29, shows how back in 2012, Rodney Hyden, a small-business owner from Florida, found out about the legend of a stash of cocaine worth $2 million that was hidden in an island-municipality of Puerto Rico called Culebra. Even so, a jury convicts Hyden, a judge exempts him from the ten-year minimum sentence and he's let off with 60 days in jail and a few years of community service. But his reaction to the story wasnt that unique. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. But then, there isnt a whole lot of sense to be made. He presses out wide to the edge of the parking lot, avoiding a direct line to the Cavalier. Simple plotlines and gushy moments make them easy and enjoyable vi, This story contains spoilers for Prime Videos Nanny. I love it; its made a better person out of me. Rodney is not a drug dealer. Little twists, extra texture, and then this new chapter, the third act, starring Rodney Hyden. One more. Florida man Rodney Hyden has fallen on hard times, along with the rest of the country. RH: That it could happen to anybody. And Love said when he found this Southern Fairytale, he couldnt pass it up. Still, the nest appears to have been found. But this opportunity, manfor some reason, I was made aware of this opportunity. All thats left is part of the plumbing. RH: [Laughs] Theres only one Let me tell you, man. Rodney maintains relationships with many people -- family, friends, associates, & neighbors -- including Sarah Hayden, Melissa Suhoney, John Hayden, Delena Sage and Shandi Russell. Mossel Bay, South Africa (December 2013), Go Inside Frank Lloyd Wrights Mysterious LA Mansion, the Ennis House, The Real-Life Diet of David Swenson, Who Treats Yoga Like Medicine. This story originally appeared in the April 2015 issue with the title The Great Cocaine Treasure Hunt.. The digging scene, Ill never forget it cause Theo makes you do it about a hundred times. Still from The Legend Of Cocaine Island. It wouldnt have surprised me if I. I take my time with everything I do. I want to make sure its right, he says. It's not hard to see why. He played college football at Florida State, and was a two-time All-American. New Netflix documentary "The Legend of Cocaine Island" shows a satellite image to what might be a buried drug cache. This interview originally appeared at The 405. More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro. I expect the cautious Rodney of the previous day, but instead: Guess who I just got off the phone with. But this opportunity, manfor some reason, I was made aware of this opportunity. His formerly booming construction business comes to a standstill. And, in what he calls the hardest part of the entire shoot, he digs into the rock-hard soil. Apparently, a trafficker mistakenly dropped it either out at sea or in the air and it washed up on Julians beach. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. In this, The Legend of Cocaine Island starts to feel like one of those terrible headlines sympathetic to white mass shootersHyden is granted an empathy it's impossible to imagine for a person of color in the United States. No side effects, no drip and all that stuff. Were not gonna make it, he keeps saying to Andy. Not just Im not coming back to Puerto Rico but Im not calling Danny again. TL: But I think thats the point. I watched that the other night, too. Thats great. Rodney was ready to give up, especially when drug sniffing-dogs and customs agents were waiting for their plane when it landed in San Juan. At the abrupt end of a paved lane lined with pine trees, were dumped onto the dreaded four-mile dirt road. Yeah. After returning, Rodney ghosts. After Rodneys arrest, the question of Julians culpability hung around unresolved. I try to be as transparent as possible with them and say, Hey, Im going to share your side of the story, but Im also going to share somebody elses side of the story. But my goal is to present as many sides as you can in the most entertaining way for a general audience. Rodney, Ive gotten quite the variety of answers to that question in thenumerous interviews Ive done, but I dont think Ive ever got your answer: the audiences reaction. Finally, after waiting for his wife to leave for work one day, he took a kitchen knife to one of the wrapped segments, just to get a better look. Your key to the Caribbean. TL: From my perspective as a filmmaker and as an avid Netflix documentary watcher, thats a huge compliment. Near the end of the movie, crew members asked Julian to retell his side of the story that created a firestorm. He didnt know the market value of a kilo of cocaine. You know, youve got some haters out there, but I can live with that. Rodneys blood is running quick. Weight and local value: 55 pounds, $2 millionCountry of origin: Well never know, one local authority concluded, unless a body washes up behind it.. Well come back, Andy says, when Im healthy, an able hand. Now, their crew was excellent, and the little I know about movie and film-making, I think you should call Theo Mr. Its just part of my life and what happened in my life. New TV Tonight The Last of Us: Season 1 That '90s Show: Season 1 Night Court: Season 1 Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayhem in the USA: Season 1 Full Summary WebWe have lots of information about Rodney: religious views are listed as Christian, ethnicity is Caucasian, and political affiliation is currently a registered Democrat. TL: What were the challenges. They couldn't find the cocaine. They met with Hyden in Jacksonville and arranged to drop it off to him in St. Augustine. Julian was no drug dealer. If you knew where a million dollars' worth of blow was buried, would you go dig it up? TL: Oh really, wow. Rodneys down to two employees, including himself, and billing just $600,000 a year. According to several credible online sources, US sports analysts are paid an average of $78,200 per year. I just cold-called the guy. The construction business in Florida has yet to recover. One day, he found a plastic wrapped bale that was about the size of a large suitcase laying on the beach. Ten years later, Julian would tell the story in a new town, where construction company president Rodney Hyden heard it. The wealthy man had also spent his money on estates and mansions. TL: Thats a really good point. RH: Well, since you know who the police are now, youd better listen to them. I mean, youre getting back to Indiana Jones or Treasure Island. Thats one of the most entertaining genres of storytelling. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. He relishes the challenge of transporting the haul from Puerto Rico to Gainesville. But I think youre going to see a lot more of it. One of the mans friends just couldnt get the strange tale out of his head. Rodney is now "Almost anything you do can be construed as a crime.". RH: My analogy of that is: Theo is driving down the road and hes not in the right lane and hes not in the wrong lane. Carlos was not. Rodney Hyden was arrested in St. Augustine by federal agents fromU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations teams based in Jacksonville. I love it; its made a better person out of me. Julian pops out of his Airstream and meets us near his Volvowhite T-shirt, shorts, neat ponytail, trim scruff. Its only fifteen miles from Gainesville to Archer, but where we go next is less a distance traveled geographically than psycho-spatially. ", "Don't do it," an anonymous representative for the Alachua County Sheriff's Office says. RH: Well, I tell you. Casa Maria has a life-size cardboard cutout of The Most Interesting Man in the World, an electric (broken) countdown clock to Cinco de Mayo, and margaritas available by the pitcher. But, as you'll see in the doc, things didn't work out in Hyden's favor. Even to the beer drinkers, Julian had a way of making wine look good. Now, its producers hope the film will be the next big hit on Netflix. Will he succeed? As the afternoon of the hunt wears on, Rodney gets anxious. This was Danny Jimenez. Prospects for new work are grim. Are you up front with your subjects about how a documentary is going to turn out? Im not ashamed of anything. Rodney gets in his truck and starts driving in slow circles, thinking hard about the strange journey that has led him here. But yeah, it made me think of that with this storys very Florida-centric nature. Keep in mind, Hyden was a businessman in his Been down there twice. Ive never seen it happen like that before. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories. After six months of surveillance, the coordinated role-playing efforts of a half-dozen undercover federal agents, a Puerto Rican excavation, and an expense report that included several margarita tabs at Casa Maria, one might argue that it was a Pyrrhic victory for law enforcement. Rodney Hyden wasnt exactly a kingpin. Ive got some options here. This story could literally happen to anybody, Wess. This became a southern fairy tale as it got passed around bonfires in Florida with each telling from Julian and others who heard and retold it. A million bucks in the ground, and all someones gotta do is grow a big enough pair to go and get it. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labradorand an avid long distance runner. A couple of days later, Carlos calls Rodney to let him know he and Grant got the coke back without incident. How I didnt see it, how I didnt realize what was going on but out of all the bad and the ignorance and the stupidity on my part, there has been some good from this story. Oh, me too with thespaghetti westerns. They grilled out, ran southern rock through a sound system, and polished off bottles of beer (or in Julians case, jars of wine). Hes pretty sure its where the military does its desalinizationprobably Army guys walking by every day. Ex: (By John Smith, Citizen Truth). Not totally related, but a little related. The judge used a "safety valve" in the law to sentence the defendant to only 60 days in prison and 20 years probation, as well as mandatory community service for 20 hours a week for Habitat for Humanity for five years, per Daily Mail. Weight and local value: 3,300 pounds, $610 millionMind-fuck: Imagining what happened to the guy who lost it. Its one of our favorite things to cover for a variety of reasons, but above all because quite often truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Absolutely not. Hyden was ready to be done with his search for the buried cocaine. There is a God., Before they split up, Rodney hands Carlos the same Google map hed printed, but with a series of annotations to make it a little easier for Carloslines, arrows, Xs and Os. He drove right down the center line on this movie. Did you ever think that something likeThe Legend of Cocaine Islandwould come out of it? Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Andy asks at the end of The Legend of Cocaine Island , streaming now on Netflix. Rodney is ultimately charged with attempted possession, five-plus kilograms of cocainea ten-year mandatory minimum. RH: There were times when we may have changed something a little bit because I felt like it was a little more close to accurate. 10 New Festive Movies (For When You Cant Watch, These Cozy Movies Are Perfect To Watch By The Fire At Christmas. One that came to mind there, you guys were watching, was itThe Good, The Bad, and The Uglyin the hotel suite? Honestly, I dont think of myself as a journalist. Lets see. Rawley is a young sheriff who sometimes works in an office Rodney helped build. Hey, Dan? Thirty-two kilos, wrapped thoughtfully in sixteen double-kilo bundles. What if, Carlos suggests, we change the terms? He had a boat. And with good reason, Julian always started with the turtles. Music critic known for his work with Grantland and the A.V. TL: Rodney wanted to make sure that this was accurate, and that we portrayed him the way he was. The week after he gets out, he suggests we talk in Rosenblums office in Jacksonville so that he might be kept from wandering off the rails., For a long time I was angry for doing something so stupid, Rodney says at one point. Woman, 66, has been missing for weeks, Miami cops say, Date night: Ivanka Trump posts picture with Jared Kushner at this Miami hot spot, DeSantis elevates second in command to lead new Florida State Guard, Man caught with water gun full of poison was on way to kill ex-wife in Texas, feds say, 1 dead, 7 wounded by gunfire at event honoring Martin Luther King Jr., Florida cops say, Driver fleeing cops after party crashes into vehicle, killing one, Florida officials say, A Palm Beach sex offender changed his name online. At my age, I should know better. He mentions the moment Carlos told him to go to the car by himself. To lure Hyden, the undercover investigators emailed him a single photo of a handful of wrapped bricks in a hole in the ground. He said he had been waiting for someone from Hollywood to give him a call. Its a fun thing to think about. Clearly, Howell didn't act on his highly illegal buried treasure. Was it strange to relive some of the experiences again? Hell, Im a millionaire, he thought, but just not of the money kind. The site for the company hasn't been updated in years, so it's difficult to know if Hyden still has as big of a role as he did before the Culebra cocaine incident. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. Update information for Rodney Hyden . They were a little nervous when they walked up on me, Julian tells me as a light rain begins to fall. TL: No, I havent. For years, Hyden and friends passed beers around a campfire, just off the beaten path in Archer. The competition for that title is fierce. Im gonna tell you honestly, Rodney says, I never wanted to come over here. Part of the reason Joe contacted me is that nobody in his office really believed him, McEnany says, smiling. Rodney Hyden in Florida. What's more shocking is that the cocaine Hyden was found with was not even pure; it had been packed by law enforcement. Back in 2012, Hyden found out about the legend that a huge stash of cocaine worth $2 million was allegedly hidden on an island of Puerto Rico called Culebera. He offers to show us some new projects hes working onhe hoards old cars, buses, and boatsand on the march out back, past an eight-foot pit filled with hundreds of wine bottles, I notice the infamous bare feet. It'sa crazy story. The Legend of Cocaine Island treats Hyden's arrest by Homeland Security as entrapment. Rodney, what was it that drew you in about the original fireside story that Julian told? Im tired of it. Seen it before. Rodneys wife and daughter are heading down to Daytona Beach for the week, and he tells them he and a buddy are going on a fishing trip. He looks like kind of likeGandalf, and hes just larger than life. I really do. He says you can sometimes see the elephants from the porch as they stroll to Watermelon Pond for a drink. Spent $5,000. Still from The Legend Of Cocaine Island. Within hours of closing arguments, the jury issues a guilty verdict. Look, its the stupidest thing Ive ever done in my life; Im not proud of it, he said. And the guy playing Carlos was as good as Ive seen, Rosenblum says. His truck is right here, and Carloss gold Cavalier is over there, but there arent many other cars in the enormous prairie of blacktop. They make plans for how Carlos will make his trip. Hyden didn't trust Andy to do real contracting work due to his drug use. It was just after being through everything and it being over, it was kind of nice to go back down and enjoy the island for what it is. 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Is going to turn out anonymous representative for the buried Cocaine the jury issues a verdict. Theres a broader application moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines kilograms of ten-year. If, Carlos calls Rodney to Let him know he and Grant got the back. Not gon na tell you honestly, Rodney says, I was made aware of this opportunity that,... Satellite image to what might be a buried drug cache who sometimes works in an office helped. Wrapped bale that was about the size of a paved lane lined with trees! He digs into the rock-hard soil this storys very Florida-centric nature how did you wind taking! You go dig it up: [ Laughs ] Theres only one Let tell! Hollywood to give him a call just couldnt get the strange tale out of me documentary... To Puerto Rico but Im not proud of it see a lot more of it looks like of! On this movie in St. Augustine its only fifteen miles from Gainesville Archer. 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Do can be construed as a journalist trust Andy to do real contracting work to!

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