Director Theo Love spins the tale of American dream turned nightmare into a slick feature film filed neatly under documentary.. After a couple of hours, they throw the shovel into the bushes and give up. 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. Since serving time, Hyden has been fulfilling his community service duty at Alachua Countys Habitat for Humanity. If I had to do it all over again, maybe I should have given it just a little more thought. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. Hes got his arms crossed and a fat lip packed with Copenhagen, spitting into a Solo cup, sort of bouncing in his chair. Everybody in the back of their mind thinks, Whats it going to look like when its over? James Gray Made the Movie of His Life. Made a bunch of money. In time (and with a little encouragement from a casual drug dealer acquaintance), Hyden decides that he will be the one to do it. But slowly and then quickly, like thumbing the pages of a flip-book into full speed, the movie plays backward in his mind. RH: Everybody has been asking about it. Not even close. TL: Thats a really good point. He says you can sometimes see the elephants from the porch as they stroll to Watermelon Pond for a drink. He loves wine. Weight and local value: 200 pounds, $15 millionAlso found nearby: A corpse. "I think the first time I heard someone say it would make a good movie was when they incarcerated me, and I was waiting for my bond hearing. He was not speaking to press on the day of the Netflix premiere. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. Hayden Winters is worth anywhere from $490,000 to $989,000. What a shit-ton of fishing line and tackle weve wasted, the sixty-day sentence suggests, for such a small fish. What will happen with this strange tale of desperation and the American dream? RH: Well, to be honest with you, I never really thought about it again until I was approached by Dee (a drug dealer interested in partnering with Rodney to make millions off the cocaine). This was a crazy story and Rodney at the time was in a bit of a desperate place. The residents of Archer, FL had heard Julian Howell's outlandish story so many times they could recite it themselves embellishments and all. WebWe have lots of information about Rodney: religious views are listed as Christian, ethnicity is Caucasian, and political affiliation is currently a registered Democrat. All Citizen Truth original articles licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. RH: No. But Ive been called a lot worse in the industry that I work in, so I thought that was a compliment. Christmas Movies Hate Single People. 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. "Ive never met somebody outside of a courtroom that Ive put in jail before, after everything was said and done. Rodney, what was it that drew you in about the original fireside story that Julian told? This fact is paramount to Rodneys lawyer, Mark Rosenblum, a Jacksonville attorney who looks a little like Joe Lieberman minus the parts that remind people of the emperor from Star Wars. And thats sad.. I thought if I didnt take it, someone who might not go to the police would.. But the problem for him is that he's talking to an undercover federal agent who was tipped off about the scheme. The competition for that title is fierce. The measurements were perfect.". "It would've been worth about $1.1 million," McEnany said. He sees nothing but the adjacent highway and empty asphaltthe stillness of the whole scene seems safe. When the real estate market collapsed in 2008, northern Florida was sucked into the fiercest whirlpool. His mansion was opulent enough to comfort him. RH: I know. Regardless of the cards you we, Willie T. Stokes, Kevin McCallister, and the Grinch. Rodney Hyden in Florida. The first time I heard about Rodney and his treasure hunt, I knew immediately that it would make an incredible movie. Rodney Hyden was the president of a construction company and a family man. If the trailer doesn't lure you in, the fact that's it's based on a real case where the main characters are from the Northeast Florida area just might. More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro. Did you ever think that something likeThe Legend of Cocaine Islandwould come out of it? They were the other half of the coin that would make the movie. Now I was doing it 50 times knowing I wasn't doing it for any reason." It was a Friday night in July 2004 when Rodney Hyden first heard about the hidden cocaine. There was something about Rodneys story that just seemed so absurd, he said. Were not gonna make it, he keeps saying to Andy. ", "Thats the great thing about Rodney. A million bucks in the ground, and all someones gotta do is grow a big enough pair to go and get it. He was affected by the 2007-2008 economic crisis, and decided to head to the island to find it. Nope, Grant assures him, and if you fly direct, theres nothing to worry about. That ground is solid rock, believe me. He knows a drug dealer in Jacksonville whos got a pilotthey fly coke up from Colombia on the regular. Consider yourself warned. Lets check, How Rich is Rodney Foster in 2020 -2021? A little later in the afternoon, at what people who are not Rodney and Julian might call the magic hour, the biting bugs swarm and the rain steams right back up off the ground and into the clouds. Rodney, therefore, is charged for intent to distribute not what federal agents actually found but what he was expecting them to finda crime of anticipation. He presses out wide to the edge of the parking lot, avoiding a direct line to the Cavalier. While walking the beach in Culebra, Puerto Rico, Julian found a duffle bag with waterproof wrapping. It was a lot of fun. Though all the lines in the script were delivered by Carlos, McEnany dictated the meeting places (We wanted to see if he was willing to go out of his way to get to the meeting, in a place that was inconvenient for him, during the afternoon, on a weekday) and terms of payment. Ive got some options here. He pulls up beside the Cavalier, unlocks the trunk, and picks up the duffel. At my age, I should know better. He mentions the moment Carlos told him to go to the car by himself. Its emotional. I didnt know exactly how Rodney was going to feel about it. And because Andy liked talking loose and dreaming big when he got high, Danny knew about it, too. I mean, come on. RH: I learned that you dont give a pig a biscuit because theyll follow you around all day. Julian Howell and his wife moved to Culebra, an island off Puerto Rico, in 1986 to work for the sea-turtle-preservation project. He wanted the quick money, he wanted the reward. Im tired of it. Kind of a big question. But I think youre going to see a lot more of it. We pass Rodneys house, a double-wide on forty acres. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. In Puerto Rico, Carlos is in touch with Rodney via text. by Wess Haubrich, Citizen Truth December 6, 2019, This article first appeared on Citizen Truth and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. I make documentaries and that involves getting into real peoples lives. Work dried up. Honestly, I dont think of myself as a journalist. Hilary Elkins, 4. Its emotional. "Julian's story was probably the most fascinating story I've ever heard in my life," he says in The Legend of Cocaine Island, which recreates many of the subsequent events, with Hyden and others playing themselves. Say, four bricks to start, maybe more, depending on what they find. I dont want to put a camera in someones face if they dont want it there. So where is Rodney Hyden in 2019? It was fantastic, and I just have to ask as the first question. ", The Legend of Cocaine Island movie review: The best Netflix documentary sinceFyre; https://t.co/FaQXYyMgXV pic.twitter.com/yeaq04hmRM, celebhood (@celebhoodnet) April 10, 2019. Rodney says he wants to get down there within the next couple of months. Ten years later, Julian would tell the story in a new town, where construction company president Rodney Hyden heard it. Dug a hole out by the cistern at his house, and into the ground it went. Were excited to be putting the movie out but a little nervous, too. Rodney Hyden wasnt exactly a kingpin. If he dies before this all happens, it aint gonna ever happen. Keep in mind, Hyden was a businessman in his 50s. On the way home, when they land in San Juan, customs pulls every bag off the plane and brings out a couple of German pointers. RH: Yeah. Had I told anybody, any of my friends, what I was going to do, I can guarantee it never would have happened. "I would not go down to Culebra, or any location for that matter. Rodney, therefore, is charged for intent to distribute not what federal agents actually found but what he was expecting them to finda crime of anticipation. Still, it was wrapped so thoroughly in plastic and rubber, he couldnt tell for sure what he was dealing with. He once resided at the gorgeous home in Van Nuys, California. 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." Damn, Rodney thinks, theyre living up to their end of the deal. TL: Yeah, weve become really good friends over the course of this. Rodney will pay Carlos and Grant in kilos rather than dollars. Yo Rodney, you said that you were waiting for somebody from Hollywood to call you when I first called. The digging scene, Ill never forget it cause Theo makes you do it about a hundred times. "Julian was sitting on a goldmine. 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. Im not ashamed of anything. WebRodney Philip Hide QSO (born 16 December 1956) is a former New Zealand politician of the ACT New Zealand party. How would you like to meet Julian?. Thats all Ive got to say. Melissa De Sousa Vindicates The Character We Love to Hate in The Black Women Gave The Best Film Performances Of The Year. Rodney Hyden Talks The Legend Of Cocaine Island Movie, This story includes spoilers for Saint Omer. This island off of the coast of Puerto Rico. Well, Julian says, its the same version Rodney told you, Im sure., But it cant be, because its not just the facts of the story, I start to say, its, He wants to know, Rodney says, getting my meaning just right, what the hell prompted me to go down there and do something dumb.. It's not hard to see why. Ryan Ballogg is a news reporter and features writer at the Bradenton Herald. All rights reserved. The judge used a "safety valve" in the law to sentence the defendant to only 60 days in prison and 20 years probation, as well as mandatory community service for 20 hours a week for Habitat for Humanity for five years, per Daily Mail. Near the end of the movie, crew members asked Julian to retell his side of the story that created a firestorm. 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. Mossel Bay, South Africa (December 2013), Go Inside Frank Lloyd Wrights Mysterious LA Mansion, the Ennis House, The Real-Life Diet of David Swenson, Who Treats Yoga Like Medicine. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labradorand an avid long distance runner. This led to Hydens arrest in 2012, and subsequent prison sentence of 60 days and 20 years probation. Never thought about it until after I saw this movie and I thought: damn. The doc, out Mar. When Rodney arrives in the parking lot and calls Carlos, he says hes inside, picking out a fishing pole for his son. What's more shocking is that the cocaine Hyden was found with was not even pure; it had been packed by law enforcement. As for the small town of Archer, Love said the place felt like a different world while driving through areas to film. From the beginning, various observers have ascribed his motivation to greed (thats the view of law enforcement); the recession (small-business owners); the desire to leave an inheritance for his wife and daughter (fans of Breaking Bad); stupidity and hubris and a midlife crisis (some of the papers that cover the story). Your key to the Caribbean. Steven Hyden (born September 7, 1977) is famous for being radio host. RH: No. Rodney tells Carlos and Grant the whole story, emphasizing the supposed quality of the product. In 2000 he started his own construction company. And, in what he calls the hardest part of the entire shoot, he digs into the rock-hard soil. Rodney is prepared to walk away from the whole scheme, but Andy persuades him not to give up entirely. In addition, he was required to participate in community service with Habitat for Humanity, 20 hours a week for 5 years. Its such a good feeling to build their home for them and then hand them the keys at the end; you both hug each other and start crying. What has the response to the film been like, Rodney? But this opportunity, manfor some reason, I was made aware of this opportunity. WebOwner:rodney j vander hyden Owner 2:SUSAN K VANDER HYDEN Tax Year:2018 Tax Amount:$3014.87 Sale Price:$81,300 View Address+Edit Neighbors View All William Bannach, 101Menasha, WI Lets see. He had a 3,600 square foot house in a very prestigious neighborhood in Gainesville, a pool, a three-car garage with a BMW and Harley in it. Rodney, anything funny happen? TL: Yeah, it did. Cocaine IslandI mean. Thanks for telling the story. Hes no Pablo Escobar, but he found a plane and a pilot and madea plan. TL: Thats the advantage of having the real live people play themselves in re-enactments. That was a gamble that paid brilliant dividends. Where you would go. In late June of 2012, Rodney books a last-minute trip to Puerto Rico. Hyden still lives in Alachua County. RH: Go ahead, Theo. But the strangest fact about Hydens story was the revelation that his illegal Caribbean treasure wasnt worth 2 million dollars. Carlos and Andy look for him independently. It's a blatant provocation, wryly described in the documentary as "the American Dream.". Rodney got married to a local girl, had a daughter with her (they each had a kid from previous relationships), built a house for his family in Gainesville, and purchased another one down in Crystal River. But it was just that: a fanstasy. Hyden was ready to be done with his search for the buried cocaine. 5 Real-Life Hunts that Unearthed Loads of Loot, Burna Boys Love, Damini Tour on Curacao: 5 Things to Know About the Most Anticipated Concert, Woman is seasick on land for months, after cruising the Caribbean, A Christmas Miracle: Anonymous Donor Pays to Evacuate Couple from the Bahamas, Caribbean Islands: a closer look at the region. It could be sent here from God, for all I know.. Almost anything you do can be construed as a crime., Rodney and I had been in touch for eight months before we met in person. Absolutely not. Couple of girls. Rodney Fosters net worth is $2.5 million, which he earned while working in the wine industry. They grilled out, ran southern rock through a sound system, and polished off bottles of beer (or in Julians case, jars of wine). Include an active dofollow hyperlink in your article back to the original Citizen Truth article. Heres the way I look at it, brother, Rodney says. Rodney also notices that theres a government building not more than 200 yards away. He interrogates Rodney about his drug-running bona fides (lacking) and the referral from El Neg. Prospects for new work are grim. I did something stupid. He suggests an airdrop into his soft and sandy yard. We pick up the story at this critical juncture. Weight and local value: 176 pounds, $48 millionDrug runners packing challenge: Cramming nearly 200 pounds of coke into four backpacks. But it wasnt just the particulars of the storyJulian burying the million-dollar stash of coral-white cocaine hed found washed up on the beach in Culebrathat captured Rodney Hydens imagination. TL: But I think thats the point. Not all treasure found in the Caribbean is illegal. He feels it in his wrists and throat. Look, its the stupidest thing Ive ever done in my life; Im not proud of it, he said. RH: Favorite movies. Netflix has done it again! TL: We were really gambling on that. As Project Executive, he will support the Project Team by providing resources from B. H. Builders as needed. Inside was 32 kilos, or 70 pounds, of cocaine, which the documentary values at around $2 million. But from the go, Rodney kept Julian in the dark about the dirty workhe limited his involvement to telling the story and helping with the map. Over 20 years ago, a Florida man stumbled across a bale of cocaine while living on the island of Culebra near Puerto Rico. That thought that and we really felt like we were going out on a limb like, Oh my gosh, man. New Details About Silvia And Why Nicole Kidman Is Banned From Their Wedding. It was a tremendous gamble which really paid dividends in Loves final product that is the film. "Cocaine -- over 70 pounds -- just waiting for someone to dig it up," the trailer continues. He tells his story to the world, playing himself in the Netflix documentary. He was a husband and father. Its buried treasure, with a twist.. But that doesn't mean he'll go looking. This story originally appeared in the April 2015 issue with the title The Great Cocaine Treasure Hunt.. He had a guy named Andy who Hyden employed occasionally for odd jobs. And Rodney will lean in and quietly say, You should hear it when hes shitfaced.. So I called Rodney up one day and asked if he wanted to make a movie. Growing up, and honestly still to this day, a lot of times when Im hanging out with my friends its sitting around and drinking, and were smoking and telling stories. Andy texts, I figured u would pull some bullshit like that steal my connections and then cut me out. Rodney finally tells everyone, Im through, Im done, its over, forget it. Absolutely not. Ad Choices. In comes Hyden, a recently riches-to-rags family man hit hard from the Great Recession. Later, after Carlos meets Hyden with the drugs, Hyden is arrested for possession of five kilograms or more of cocaine, with the intent to distribute. In the future, hell no. Yeah, another question Id like to ask everybody. Buried Treasure in the Caribbean? The magazine with local insides,stories and travel information about the Caribbean. Scarface. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A North Florida case involving drugs, danger and drama will be in the international spotlight starting Friday. Together they recruited Carlos and Grant, undercover agents who would pose as drug dealers throughout the sting. Someone in jail said, 'Hey man, that would make a great movie,'" Hyden said. The two made a detailed map and Hyden made it his mission to bring it back. Theyd do the job for us if we cut them in on some of the product. For years, Hyden and friends passed beers around a campfire, just off the beaten path in Archer. Aint no way that coke is anywhere but where I left it, hed say. I think he was really just driven by greed, Rawley says. Theyre among the very few Christmas movie characters I can, Christmas rom-coms tend to fall on the so bad, its good side of cinema. Andy heads to a bar, talks to a kid on a skateboard, finds some weed. That feels amazing as a storyteller and as a filmmaker. 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. Rodney had already been forced to cut his payroll to six. Yeah, its googling Florida Man, then your birthday (month and day), and youre supposed to share the first article that comes up. Rodneys blood is running quick. Thirty-two kilos, wrapped thoughtfully in sixteen double-kilo bundles. Lets see, actually, the last question I had for you guys is whats next for you? Not just Im not coming back to Puerto Rico but Im not calling Danny again. "We're a casualty of bulls**t.". And then he and Rodney, good neighbors, laugh softly and shake their heads, like, What a crazy story thatd make. Keep in mind, Hyden was a businessman in his Its an invasive species, Have you seen Maura Lockhart? Carlos was not. It was just beautiful. And check outThe Legend of Cocaine Island on Netflix worldwide now. So you shot everything on site? After fixating on Julians story about the $2 million dollars worth of cocaine lying in the sand, he decided to dig it up. And the picture of the storyteller, too. The possibility of digging up the buried drugs intrigued him. You see that? Hyden asked. WebWe know that Rodney is married at this point. One day, amidst a profound ordinariness, Julian spotted a plastic-wrapped bale, about the shape and weight of a large piece of luggage, just plopped there in the froth of the tide. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Yep. ", 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. He wasnt certain it was worth the risk. Rodney, what do you hope people will take away from your story? "I have never had a case this bizarre," said Special Agent Ryan McEnany, with ICE Homeland Security Investigations. RH: Pretty much except yeah. This is it, man. We push deeper still and then were there. He's still the president of his construction company, BH Builders Inc., according to his LinkedIn. The Legend of Cocaine Island is streaming now on Netflix. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. But when the bottom fell out five years ago, I didnt draw a paycheck for two years. Just a bunch of yellowed wrapping and a little white. "It would've been worth about $1.1 million," McEnany said. By the time I got into movies, it was just the bigSteven Spielbergblockbusters. TL: Yeah, absolutely. Ill tell you that. Rodney had been raised in Gainesville, worked summers at his fathers work sites, and enrolled in the building-construction program at the University of Florida, right there in town. There were good years there in the early aughts when theyd do $10 million to $20 million in businesshotels, airport expansions, the new skybox at the University of Florida football stadium, a.k.a. Gandalf if Gandalf lived in Florida [Laughs]. Im pleased with it. Thats a fantastic answer. Copyright 2023 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Carlos was an undercover Homeland Security Agent. Who is Rodney Hyden? Were not gonna make it. Required fields are marked *. But Danny keeps coming by the office, stoking the notion. RH: Yeah, Ive got a pretty quick answer that didnt take much thinking, and Im only gonna speak specific about the genre of this movie or documentary. Hyden didn't trust Andy to do real contracting work due to his drug use. Yeah. At the edge of Julians property, we confront a gate guarded with a gopher tortoise crossing sign, the (real) skulls of several cows, and the (fake) skull of a human.

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