Father and Daughter Plead Guilty to Smuggling R-22 From Mexico for HVAC Companies
Ricky Jesus Rodriguez, 47, admitted making dozens of border runs with five to 10 tanks of R-22 each. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Jan. 11, 2027. His daughter's plea deal ends in dismissal if she completes 12 months of good behavior.
A San Diego man and his daughter pleaded guilty Oct. 16 in federal court to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by smuggling R-22 across the U.S.-Mexico border on behalf of HVAC companies, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California said.
Ricky Jesus Rodriguez, 47, and Jasmine Rodriguez, 24, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, charged under Title 18, Section 371 of the U.S. Code. Both are defendants in Case No. 26-cr-4089-BJC.
Dozens of crossings, five to 10 tanks each
Ricky Rodriguez began smuggling R-22 in the summer of 2023, according to the office. He admitted making the trip dozens of times with five to 10 tanks on each run, earning thousands of dollars in smuggling fees, and said he was paid tens of thousands of dollars to coordinate the operation. He also admitted recruiting other smugglers, including his daughter, and helping direct her role.
Jasmine Rodriguez worked as a driver for the HVAC companies and collected a fee for every tank of R-22 she brought in from Mexico, the release said.
"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," the office wrote. The release does not name either company.
- Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, San Diego
- Case: No. 26-cr-4089-BJC, before U.S. District Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks
- Plea: Conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, 18 U.S.C. 371
- Maximum penalty: five years in prison and a $250,000 fine
- Sentencing for Ricky Rodriguez: Jan. 11, 2027, at 10 a.m.
- Investigators: EPA Criminal Investigation Division, with Homeland Security Investigations
Two different outcomes on the table
Only the father faces sentencing. Jasmine Rodriguez's plea agreement lets her defer entry of judgment, and if she meets her conditions of release and stays on good behavior for 12 months, her case will be dismissed.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Chiang and Emily W. Allen are prosecuting. The office listed the case under the Justice Department's Trade Fraud Task Force, which it said goes after parties evading tariffs and duties as well as "smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy." The release also points would-be whistleblowers to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act and the Criminal Division's Corporate Whistleblower Program.
Why This Matters to Contractors
The same San Diego court has handled R-22 border cases before, and two of them ended in probation. Cooling Post reported in February 2025 that Todd Campbell drew 12 months of probation and $8,808 in restitution for seven 30-pound cylinders at San Ysidro, and Edwin Flores got one year of probation and $2,900 in restitution for three. Those were single drivers. The Rodriguez pleas describe repeat runs ordered and paid for by HVAC businesses, with a paid coordinator in the middle, and the government's account of the pleas puts the buyers' role on the record ahead of the January sentencing.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, "Father and Daughter Admit Roles in Conspiracy to Violate Clean Air Act," Oct. 16, 2026. justice.gov
- Contracting Business, "Father and Daughter Plead Guilty to Smuggling R-22 for HVAC Companies," 2026. contractingbusiness.com
- Cooling Post, "Two convicted of R22 refrigerant smuggling," Feb. 14, 2025. coolingpost.com