A Fort Lauderdale man is facing federal drug-trafficking charges after what started as a routine Coast Guard boarding turned into a big bust at sea. Agents say they uncovered a hidden stash of cocaine and marijuana tucked beneath the cabin floor of a 45-foot pleasure boat, with more than 70 kilograms of cocaine and roughly 12 kilograms of marijuana allegedly riding along in a secret compartment.
According to a federal criminal complaint, crew members from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge boarded the Sea Ray vessel Lady B about eight nautical miles northeast of Haulover Inlet when they noticed something was off. Investigators reported manipulated panels, fresh fiberglass work and a small opening that led to a concealed compartment below. Inside, agents say they found 68 bricks of cocaine, totaling more than 70 kilograms, and 14 bricks of marijuana, about 12 kilograms. Two men were allegedly on board at the time: 33-year-old Rudalph Hylton and a man identified as Aldon Delano Brown. The seizure and arrests are described in detail by WPLG Local 10.
The complaint notes that “the complaint describes ‘a hidden compartment under the floor inside the vessel’s cabin compartment that was well concealed with a small opening,'” and says Hylton told investigators he and Brown had taken the Lady B from Fort Lauderdale to Jamaica about a month earlier. According to the filing, Hylton said he was offered $100,000 to bring the boat back to South Florida knowing illegal narcotics would be hidden on board. He was booked into the Broward County jail on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service, taken into custody on three federal drug-trafficking charges, and is scheduled for a pre-trial detention hearing on March 2, 2026, in federal court, according to WPLG Local 10.
Coast Guard Busy Off Port Everglades
The case lands in the middle of a particularly active run of maritime interdictions off South Florida. In a February 14 press release, the U.S. Coast Guard said Station Fort Lauderdale and federal partners seized roughly 745 pounds of cocaine, an estimated $5.6 million worth, after stopping two suspected smuggling vessels near Port Everglades. Officials publicly praised the teamwork involved as interagency crews worked the case. The Coast Guard released details in a public statement, per the U.S. Coast Guard…