After accumulating more than $16,000 in gambling debt, Jey Gonzalez-Diaz, a passenger on the Rhapsody of the Seas, jumped overboard after the ship docked in Puerto Rico last weekend, authorities said.

The passenger leaped from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship at around 9:15 a.m. on Sept. 7 as guests were disembarking, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico. He was rescued by two people, one of whom pulled him onto his jet ski. He was brought to shore before Customs and Border Protection officers detained him at 9:45 a.m.

The Rhapsody of the Seas has 12 decks, but it was unclear which deck Gonzalez-Diaz jumped from. He has been charged with attempting to avoid monetary reporting requirements.

Gonzalez-Diaz was found with a backpack containing $14,600 in US dollars, two mobile devices, and five identification documents,” the filing states. 

When asked why he jumped, Gonzalez-Diaz told customs officers that he had not wanted to declare the currency he had on him because he didn’t want to be taxed.

But according to Royal Caribbean records cited in the complaint, Mr. Gonzalez-Diaz had $16,710.24 in debt with the cruise line, most of it in casino and gaming expenses. He boarded the Rhapsody of the Seas in Puerto Rico on Aug. 31, authorities said.