Father and Daughter Admit Roles in Conspiracy to Violate Clean Air Act

SAN DIEGO - Ricky Jesus Rodriguez and his daughter, Jasmine Rodriguez, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting they participated in a months-long conspiracy to smuggle banned refrigerants from Mexico into the United States on behalf of American air conditioning companies.

Ricky Rodriguez admitted that he was paid tens of thousands of dollars to coordinate the smuggling of R-22, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon long banned from production and import in the United States. He admitted that he recruited others, including his daughter, to join the smuggling ring, and helped coordinate her role as well.

R-22 is strictly regulated by an international treaty known as the Montreal Protocol that has been ratified by nearly every country. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons like R-22 have an extremely deleterious effect on the ozone layer. Stratospheric ozone forms a protective shield around the earth that absorbs the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation that otherwise causes skin cancer, eye damage, and environmental damage. R-22, when released into the atmosphere, destroys ozone, depletes the protective ozone layer, and reduces the atmosphere's ability to block harmful UV radiation. R-22 had been used as a refrigerant until its use was phased out after these harmful effects were recognized.

Despite the ban, at least two HVAC companies recruited and paid Rodriguez, his daughter and other smugglers to hide tanks of R-22 in their cars and drive them across the border.

Ricky Rodriguez began smuggling R-22 in the summer of 2023. He admitted he smuggled the chemicals dozens of times, bringing five to ten tanks each time, earning thousands of dollars in smuggling fees.

Ricky Rodriguez recruited more smugglers to work for him and the HVAC companies. His daughter was a driver for the HVAC companies, collecting a smuggling fee for each tank of R-22 she brought into the United States from Mexico.

Ricky Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2027, at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks. Jasmine Rodriguez entered into a plea agreement that allows her to defer entry of judgment if she meets conditions of release and remains on good behavior for a period of 12 months, after which her case would be dismissed.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are members of the Department of Justice's Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort that also involves the National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Criminal and Civil Divisions, the Energy and Natural Resources Division, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Attorney's Offices nationwide. The Task Force was created to leverage all of the Department's tools and authorities to prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Criminal Division's Corporate Whistleblower Program at [email protected] using the form available here.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Chiang and Emily W. Allen from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.

The Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigations Division is investigating this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.

DEFENDANTS

Ricky Jesus Rodriguez, Case No. 26-cr-4089-BJC Age: 47 San Diego, CA

Jasmine Rodriguez, Case No. 26-cr-4089-BJC Age: 24 San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371

Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Homeland Security Investigations