He wasnt certain it was worth the risk. Carlos and Andy look for him independently. We have taken it to a few film festivals, and audiences really enjoy it. That ground is solid rock, believe me. Did you ever think that something likeThe Legend of Cocaine Islandwould come out of it? Together they recruited Carlos and Grant, undercover agents who would pose as drug dealers throughout the sting. And the picture of the storyteller, too. Rodneys down to two employees, including himself, and billing just $600,000 a year. Were in January 2012 now. A second trip was also unsuccessful. The Untold Truth Of Jewel's Mother - Lenedra Carro Hwanwoong (ONEUS) - Age, Height, Girlfriend, Net W Geoff Stults Net Worth, Wife, Children, Siblings, Who is UFC MMA fighter, Urijah Faber? Hyden found the cocaine with the help of a group of men, but one of them had ratted him out in advance in exchange for leniency for a crime he'd already committed, leading to Hyden's 2012 arrest, per GQ. Along with some of the story's other primary characters (like Andy Culpepper, who accompanied Hyden to Culebra), Hyden narrates his own story. Ive helped a lot of families. No, I go on a sixty-foot yacht. In that 2018 Daily Mail interview, Hyden spoke about how it feels to look back at what he did, and the positive aspect of the experience. I just think it was a waste of taxpayers dollars.. The wealthy man had also spent his money on estates and mansions. Andy, in spite of his fucking big mouth, might prove helpful on recon. Your key to the Caribbean. I mean, Hollywood quality., In July 2013, Rawley and McEnany bring Julian Howell, Andy Culpepper, and Danny Jimenez to Jacksonville to testify. And with good reason, Julian always started with the turtles. He recalled driving along a sand road one day when Hyden began to point at something through the trees. "I'm a dreamer, but I'm not a greedy person. Carlos is Puerto Rican and does most of the talking. Later, they pass actual bricks of cocaine in a duffel bag to Hyden, in order that he may incriminate himself. Thats great. I watched that the other night, too. No one else did what he did., Im not about being a drug dealer. Im pleased with it. In March, Danny drops by again. 'Legend of Cocaine Island' Netflix Documentary Ends With Treasure Map to a Possible $2 Million Drug Cache 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. Hyden's wife isn't too far off when she compares the police sting to the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden: "Just give me a map. From award-winning writing and photography to binge-ready videos to electric live events, GQ meets millions of modern men where they live, creating the moments that create conversations. His formerly booming construction business comes to a standstill. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Hyden owns a construction business in central Florida (a state hit harder than most others) which was booming untilthe real estate bubble burstand triggered a huge part of this story. The I-TEAM can't show McEnany's face because he still works undercover, but the agent spent months investigating a tip from Alachua County when a neighbor said Hyden was planning to smuggle 32 kilos of cocaine into the area. Andy whines that its too hot for this shit. McEnany and the other undercover operative got a hold of the treasure map and found the stash buried 3 feet under the sand. Believe what you want. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. In many ways it makes my job a lot easier. WebRodney Philip Hide QSO (born 16 December 1956) is a former New Zealand politician of the ACT New Zealand party. Will he succeed? He relishes the challenge of transporting the haul from Puerto Rico to Gainesville. AmyLamareis a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. (Despite living with Danny, Andy never caught on to the sting, nor was he charged with abetting Rodney.) WebWe know that Rodney is married at this point. But then, there isnt a whole lot of sense to be made. the Swamp. B&H Builders grew to eighty employees. The first time Rodney heard the story, a Friday in July 2004, he could tell by the way the others reacted, the way they oversold their delight at the laugh lines, that this was not the first time theyd heard it. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. What makes a great movie is whether the audience responds to it. Eventually he decided to bury it. As a filmmaker, I feel like Im never gonna have a more fun set. Yeah, another question Id like to ask everybody. But it could be coke, or something else. Thanks so much for doing this, and asking us all these questions. That's where he met Julian and heard about the legend of $2 million worth of cocaine buried near a sea turtle sanctuary. TL: Yo. Yeah didnt mean to imply that youre recommending it because the film doesnt. ", A post shared by Jordan Lott (@jlott666) on Apr 5, 2019 at 12:09am PDT, RELATED:Who Is Connor Cruise's Fianc? After the countless meetings and phone calls, the pair of trips to Culebra, it ends up being that easyeven more straightforward than Rodney had ever dreamed it. The digging scene, Ill never forget it cause Theo makes you do it about a hundred times. He started to think that he could rebuild his wealth if he could just find that cocaine. Cause there are some crazy documentaries on Netflix. Thanks to @netflix The Legend Of Cocaine Island, Ive finalized my retirement plans. According to GQ, of what was in that duffel, "what actually tested positive for cocaine was merely 2.2 kilos and that wasnt even sellable." After a couple of hours, they throw the shovel into the bushes and give up. They saw me in that first taped meeting in my office, smirking and sitting with my arms crossedthats just how I sit!but they took it as Mr. Cocky.. Of that bundle, what actually tested positive for cocaine was merely 2.2 kilosand that wasnt even sellable, it was such shit. Hilary Elkins, 4. He once resided at the gorgeous home in Van Nuys, California. He didnt even really like blow. The prosecution recommends forgoing the ten-year mandatory minimum, asking for thirty months, but Rosenblum argues that Rodneys skills as a general contractor will better serve the community outside prison. So you shot everything on site? But the strangest fact about Hydens story was the revelation that his illegal Caribbean treasure wasnt worth 2 million dollars. After Rodneys arrest, the question of Julians culpability hung around unresolved. I try to do that with everybody I interviewed to at least catch one more of theirs. WebHere are some of the phone numbers that are related to Rodney Hyden: 352-495-8590, 352-495-2365, 352-333-7716, 352-538-1768, 352-504-7085, 352-372-7424. Over the years, Rodney became obsessedwith the fantasy of retrieving that buried cocaine. Forced to abandon a luxurious home and move his family into a double-wide in Archer, Fla., Hyden starts getting desperate. Rodneys down to two employees, including himself, and billing just $600,000 a year. Florida Man takes many forms; in Cocaine Island, hes Rodney Hyden, the self-made owner of a construction company that once boasted 80 employees. Rodney doesnt know even a ballpark estimate of the market value. Being a first-time offender worked in Hyden's favor. But this opportunity, manfor some reason, I was made aware of this opportunity. The bank claimed his river house and his office. Rodney nearly shits his pants as they approach Culebra. Thats Julian.. At my age, I should know better. He mentions the moment Carlos told him to go to the car by himself. Rodney has begun to feel a growing respect and admiration for Carlos, regarding him as something more than just a drug dealer whos warned again and again, since the first meeting at Casa Maria, that he was only there because of the money. We really did, and we got to know all the people who were involved, their friends, and yeah. We love a greatbased on a true story flick. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. That feels amazing as a storyteller and as a filmmaker. Carlos seems ecstatic. Yep. Its emotional. 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. Thank you. He introduced Hyden to a pilot named Carlos who said he could fly the cocaine into the U.S. Rodney and Andy flew to Culebra. how old is lydia cornell; bolivian "Look, its the stupidest thing Ive ever done in my life; Im not proud of it," he said. But whos Rodney to say? Not even close. Thats a fantastic answer. I dont go on the ferry, my friend. 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. But all of that's beside the point if you're looking for a $2 million cache of illegal narcotics. He would transport it back into the U.S. and work with Dee to sell it and give Rodney his cut. Such is the case in Netflixs wildly entertaining,documentarytale of quintessentially American desperation, dreams of wealth, and the power of mythic storytelling:The Legend of Cocaine Island, out now on the streaming giant. Everybody in the back of their mind thinks, Whats it going to look like when its over? He analyzed the map Rodney handed over and directed the operation in Puerto Rico. This is one I had for both of you, although you might be answering it separate. Ad Choices. Getting seasick is , An anonymous donor paid for Bruce and Narcene Campbell to take an emergency medical flight back to the United States , Your email address will not be published. However, years later, he couldnt resist sharing the story of his uncanny find with his friends as they sat around a campfire, drinking beer. We tried to make it look like a big Hollywood blockbuster which is a little bit hard to do when youre dealing with documentary subject matter. What if we go get it and you pay us eight bricks instead of four? Now, its producers hope the film will be the next big hit on Netflix. But two ching-chings into the dirt, they still cant crack the coral. What a shit-ton of fishing line and tackle weve wasted, the sixty-day sentence suggests, for such a small fish. Heres the way I look at it, brother, Rodney says. Were not gonna make it, he keeps saying to Andy. Look, its the stupidest thing Ive ever done in my life; Im not proud of it, he said. Like, Actually. This led to Hydens arrest in 2012, and subsequent prison sentence of 60 days and 20 years probation. It was a lot of fun. Which is why Rodney was taken aback one morning when a guy he barely knew approached him and said: Hey, man, I can help with that coke down in Puerto Rico. Treasure, treasure, treasure," Hyden says, describing how the story fired his imagination. TL: We were really gambling on that. RH: No. I love it; its made a better person out of me. No sweat. Its emotional. The plot follows Hyden as he devises and Because theyre entrusting me with their stories, and I dont take that lightly. Mr. Rodney T. Hyden President This is it, man. We push deeper still and then were there. So for several hours each day for a decade, Julian walked the beaches of Culebra, looking for signs of turtles. Rodney maintains relationships with many people -- family, friends, associates, & neighbors -- including Sarah Hayden, Melissa Suhoney, John Hayden, Delena Sage and Shandi Russell. RH: Who else has brought a guy in that lived it and did it, and said look, youre gonna be a part of it if you want to. More should. [Laughs] Well, there you go. The director and the subject of The Legend of Cocaine Island spoke with the Bradenton Herald after the films Netflix release on March 29. A man named Julian told him at a happy hour with a bunch of other men from Archer, Florida about a bale of cocaine that he had hidden near a sanctuary for sea turtles after it washed up on a beach. So you wanted a chance to tell the story in your own words? Its emotional. Rodney, what do you hope people will take away from your story? 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. So where is Rodney Hyden in 2019? Net Worth in 2021. RH: No, no. And I felt nothing but comfort with Theo and Bryan (Storkel) when I spoke with them and met with them. Its over. ", Gutting IRS Will Help Wealthy Avoid More Taxes | Opinion, Eliminating Income Tax Means More Money for Americans | Opinion, 'Miami Showband Massacre' is a Shocking New Netflix Doc, 'Project Blue Book' True Story: The Real UFO Conspiracy. But now, years later, things seem to be looking up for Hyden. RH: In this case, based on what I saw at the film festivals, its the audiences reaction and thats all Im gonna say. TL: Not being stressed out by the drug running and all of that? Dannys job is to find the buyer (possibly El Neg). Those Friday-night fireside happy hours became a beloved ritual, and after enough wine, Julian would tell the cocaine story. 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