A Texas man is facing criminal charges after the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office say he rented a boat in the Florida Keys and took it all the way to Cuba without authorization.
Floyd Dean Devasier, 63, of Katy, Texas, was arrested Thursday for hiring or leasing property with intent to defraud. The charge is linked to an incident that began earlier in the week when Devasier rented a 26.5-foot Panga-style vessel from Beach Weekend Key West Marina on Stock Island.
Devasier agreed to a rental contract that required him to follow maritime laws, return the boat by the end of business Wednesday, and not operate the vessel after dark, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. Before departing Tuesday, he purchased and filled an additional 20-gallon fuel tank — raising concerns for marina staff.
Devasier told marina employees he would dock the boat overnight at a location on Front Street on Stock Island. But that never happened. Local business owners told investigators they never saw the vessel, and security footage showed no evidence of it arriving.
GPS data showed the boat heading south into the Atlantic before the signal was lost. The marina contacted the U.S. Coast Guard and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. A fisherman later reported seeing the vessel offshore and provided photographs to authorities.
On Wednesday, federal officials learned from the Cuban Border Guard that Devasier and a 38-year-old woman were in custody in Cuba, along with the boat. It's unclear what their intentions were or how they ended up in Cuban waters.
Devasier flew back to Miami on Thursday, where he was arrested by federal agents. Authorities say he has a history of drug-related convictions — including a 2019 incident where another overdue vessel was also discovered in Cuba.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay credited the U.S. Coast Guard and others for assisting in the investigation.
